Supreme Court Allows Manufacturing Of Green Firecrackers In Delhi NCR, But Prohibits Sale
Supreme Court also directed the Centre to work with stakeholders and present a solution on the ban on sale and storage of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR by Oct. 8.
The Supreme Court on Friday permitted manufacturers who have the permit for green crackers by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), but they have to submit an undertaking that they will not sell any crackers in the Delhi NCR area.
The court also directed the Centre to work with stakeholders and present a solution on the ban on sale and storage of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR by Oct. 8.
"It has been explained that even though a complete ban was ordered.. the ban could not be implemented. Like in the state of Bihar, though there was a ban on mining..it led to illegal mining mafias. Thus, a balanced approach is needed. Let the case be listed on Oct. 8," SC ordered.
Earlier this month, the SC raised pointed questions over the selective imposition of the firecracker ban in the Delhi-NCR region, saying if clean air was a right for "elite" residents of the national capital, the same must extend to citizens across the country.
"If cities in NCR are entitled for clean air, why not people of other cities?...Whatever policy has to be there, it has to be on a pan-India basis. We cannot have a policy just for Delhi because they are elite citizens of the country."
Earlier, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa called for a balanced approach on the firecracker ban during Diwali in the national capital, saying people should be allowed to celebrate the festival, without harming the environment.
He asserted that Delhiites are sensible, well aware of the environmental and health concerns and know how to celebrate the festival responsibly, without harming the health of themselves or their children.
The Supreme Court is currently hearing petitions from firecracker manufacturers and citizen groups challenging its April 3, 2025, order that upheld a ban on the sale, manufacture, and storage of firecrackers in Delhi and NCR districts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Rajasthan.
This ban was initially imposed on December 19, 2024. It aims to mitigate the region's severe air quality issues. The court emphasised the need for a year-round ban, citing the "horrible" air quality in the region.
