Supreme Court eases firecracker ban in Delhi-NCR for Diwali 2025

New Delhi: In a landmark decision balancing cultural festivities with environmental imperatives, the Supreme Court of India has partially lifted its longstanding ban on firecrackers in the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR) for Diwali 2025.

However, bursting is restricted to 6 AM-7 AM and 8 PM-10 PM on the day before and day of Diwali.

Similar slots apply to other festivals like Gurpurab (one-hour morning/evening windows) and New Year's Eve (11:55 PM-12:30 AM). Fireworks are also permitted for weddings and personal events outside these periods.

The apex court directed that the firecrackers will be sold only by licensed vendors and wholesalers at earmarked points for verification. Online platforms like Flipkart and Amazon are prohibited from facilitating sales in the region.

No specific quantity limits were outlined, but the court emphasised on controlled, community-based use to prevent mass emissions.

The court has permitted the sale and bursting of only "green" firecrackers on a five-day trial basis, marking the first legal allowance of fireworks in the region during the festival in nearly five years.

This relaxation comes just days before Diwali, scheduled for October 20, and aims to revive traditions while imposing stringent time, place, and quality restrictions to mitigate the annual spike in air pollution.

The verdict, delivered by a bench comprising Chief Justice Bhushan R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran on October 11, reverses a blanket ban extended in April 2025 by another bench led by Justice Abhay S Oka.

That earlier order had decried Delhi's "horrible" air quality and argued that short-term relaxations around Diwali were ineffective without proven minimal pollution from green variants.