Supreme Court sets green cracker timings for Delhi-NCR on Nov 7 and 8

The Supreme Court has granted permission to burst green crackers under regulations in Delhi and the entire National Capital Region (NCR) on November 7 and 8. According to the directives issued by the apex court, people will be able to burst specified crackers only between 6 am to 7 am in the morning and 8 pm to 10 pm in the evening.

The division bench hearing the matter, comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Prasanna B. Varale, ordered that the complete ban on fireworks will come back into effect from November 9. This year, the festival of Diwali falls on November 8.

The court stated that while the religious and social significance of the festival of Diwali is undoubtedly very high, polluting the air and putting the health of living beings at risk runs counter to the core objective of the celebration. The bench remarked that the right to freedom of religion granted under Article 25(1) of the Constitution is subject to public health and legal regulations, while Article 21 provides every citizen the fundamental right to live in a safe and pollution-free environment.

According to the orders, bursting any kind of crackers within a radius of three hundred meters from hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, old age homes, educational institutions, and declared silent zones will be prohibited. The administration has been urged to mark and publicize these sensitive locations as 'no-cracker zones'.

The court has also clarified that only CSIR-NEERI and PESO approved green crackers can be sold at authorized locations, and their packets must carry a QR code. Online sales and series (string) crackers will continue to face a complete ban, and strict legal action has been ordered against violators.

The Supreme Court has directed pollution control boards to continuously monitor air quality during and after the Diwali days, and to collect data on patients affected by pollution from hospitals.

Key developments

• Permission to burst green crackers in Delhi-NCR on Nov 7 and 8 from 6-7 am and 8-10 pm
• Complete ban on fireworks to be reimposed from November 9
• 300-meter radius around hospitals, old age homes, and educational institutions declared 'no-cracker zone'
• Only QR-coded CSIR-NEERI certified crackers to be sold, ban on string crackers remains
• Pollution boards ordered to review air quality and health data even after the festival