Supreme Court permits green crackers in Delhi-NCR during restricted hours

NEW DELHI — The Supreme Court has permitted the use of green crackers in the Delhi-NCR region on November 7 and 8 during specific hours, while emphasizing that a comprehensive ban on fireworks will resume immediately afterwards.

According to the directives issued by the court, bursting of green crackers will be allowed only between 6:00 am and 7:00 am, and again from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm on the specified dates. The bench clarified that the total ban on crackers previously in place will come back into full effect starting November 9.

The temporary relief introduces specific low-emission alternatives into a heavily regulated airshed, highlighting ongoing judicial management of seasonal pollution spikes. Green crackers are engineered to mimic traditional fireworks while producing reduced levels of environmental pollutants.

Developed by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), a governmental body operating under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), these alternative pyrotechnics generate 40 to 50 percent lower volumes of harmful gases compared to conventional fireworks.

Dr. Sadhana Rayalu, Chief Scientist at NEERI, explained that while the formulations successfully suppress emissions, they are not entirely pollution-free. “Harmful gases are still released, but it is not as if they cause no pollution at all,” Dr. Rayalu stated, adding that the primary objective of the research was to significantly reduce the heavy output of nitrogen and sulphur gases characteristic of standard fireworks.

NEERI has developed four distinct categories of green crackers: safe water releasers which generate water vapor, star crackers or safe thermite crackers designed to lower sulphur and nitrogen emissions, SAFAL formulations utilizing reduced quantities of aluminium, and aroma crackers.

The blanket prohibition on all types of crackers will be strictly reinstated across Delhi-NCR beginning November 9.