Representative image. Ministry of Culture, GODL-India, Wikimedia Commons
हिन्दी में सारांश Summary in Hindi
- दिल्ली-NCR में 7 और 8 नवंबर को सिर्फ ग्रीन पटाखे चलाए जा सकेंगे।
- सुबह 6 से 7 बजे और रात 8 से 10 बजे के बीच ही।
- 9 नवंबर से पटाखों पर पूरा प्रतिबंध फिर लागू होगा।
বাংলায় সারাংশ Summary in Bangla
- দিল্লি-NCR-এ ৭ ও ৮ নভেম্বর শুধু গ্রিন পটকা ফাটানো যাবে।
- সকাল ৬টা থেকে ৭টা এবং রাত ৮টা থেকে ১০টা পর্যন্ত।
- ৯ নভেম্বর থেকে পটকায় পূর্ণ নিষেধাজ্ঞা আবার চালু হবে।
Why it matters
The windows are short and the rules are strict. The QR code and the seal are the two things a buyer can check on a box. Bursting outside the windows, or near a listed place, is outside the court's order even on the two permitted days.
Green crackers can be burst in Delhi-NCR, the National Capital Region around Delhi, on 7 and 8 November 2026. The Supreme Court has allowed it, but only in two short windows a day. Diwali falls on 8 November. The complete firecracker ban returns on 9 November, according to the court’s order of 29 October.
The order was made available on Monday, 2 November, Indian Express reported, citing the Press Trust of India (PTI). The bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale said it preferred a regulated approach to a blanket ban for a temporary period, Hindustan Times reported.
When green crackers can be burst
Four of the reports read in full gave the same windows: 6 am to 7 am and 8 pm to 10 pm on both 7 and 8 November. Mint linked the timings to the court’s earlier order of 15 October 2025. LiveLaw reported different hours, 6 am to 8 pm on 7 November and 7 am to 10 pm on 8 November. NewsPlainly could not open the order text, so the table follows the majority. Until the order text is checked, treat the hours as the reports’ reading of it.
| Date | What applies | Who it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 2 to 6 November | Certified makers may produce only green crackers listed on the CSIR-NEERI website in this period | Licensed manufacturers |
| 4 to 6 November | Cancelled trader licences restored temporarily, to sell approved stock | Firecracker traders |
| 7 November | Bursting allowed from 6 to 7 am and 8 to 10 pm | Residents of Delhi-NCR, outside no-cracker zones |
| 8 November | Same two windows on Diwali | Residents of Delhi-NCR, outside no-cracker zones |
| 9 November | Complete ban restored | Everyone in Delhi-NCR |
Which crackers count as green
Only green crackers listed on the website of the CSIR-NEERI, the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, can be made or sold. The Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) licenses the makers, Hindustan Times reported. Makers may produce only what they uploaded to the CSIR-NEERI site between 2 and 6 November.
Conventional crackers are not allowed at all, and the authorities are told to confiscate them and prosecute violators, Hindustan Times reported. Crackers joined in series, known as ‘ladis’, and garlands are banned, along with any cracker that contains barium. Every box has to stay sealed. Each box also needs a product QR (quick response) code. Scanning it should show the manufacturer, the NEERI registration, the PESO or district magistrate licence, the formulation and the test certificate. The code cannot be transferred, and selling it on counts as a breach, Hindustan Times reported.
Where crackers can be sold, and how they will be checked
Sales of green crackers are allowed only at designated locations that district collectors and commissioners set, in consultation with district police chiefs. Online sales are banned. Police and district teams are to inspect sale points, verify QR codes and check vehicles entering Delhi-NCR for illegal crackers.
The court also asked Delhi NCR firecracker traders and manufacturers to give monetary security deposits, which will be forfeited for a breach. LiveLaw reported that any breach would lead to immediate cancellation of the licence. Traders whose licences were cancelled have them restored only from 4 to 6 November, and only to sell approved stock.
Where bursting stays banned, even on the two days
No green crackers may be burst, even in the windows, within 300 metres of hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health centres, old-age homes, educational institutions and notified silence zones. The court wants these areas declared ‘no-cracker zones’, marked on the ground and publicised, Hindustan Times reported.
Why the court did not impose a full ban
Instead of a blanket ban, the bench chose to allow green crackers for a short period. The bench said the earlier complete ban on Diwali crackers had not significantly improved air quality, and that it had helped an illegal market for conventional crackers grow, according to Hindustan Times. The relaxation is temporary, the court said. It said it lacked enough data to decide whether a full ban was the best answer, and that the problem lay in implementation.
Air quality was already poor. Indian Express reported that Delhi’s air quality index (AQI) crossed 300 early on Monday and stood at 312, in the ‘very poor’ band, at about 8 am. LiveLaw reported that a similar relaxation was allowed for Diwali last year.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) must prepare daily air-quality reports for 2 to 6 November, for 7 and 8 November and for the period after Diwali, Hindustan Times reported. The court also directed pollution-control authorities to collect data on the environmental and health impact of the green crackers relaxation. Our earlier report on the Delhi vehicle curbs, the same pollution emergency, sets out the other winter rules in force in the capital.
Frequently asked questions
When can green crackers be burst in Delhi-NCR this Diwali?
On 7 and 8 November 2026, from 6 am to 7 am and from 8 pm to 10 pm, according to four of the reports read. LiveLaw gave different hours, so check the order text before relying on them.
How do I check a green cracker box?
Scan the product QR code. Hindustan Times reported that it should show the manufacturer, the NEERI registration, the PESO or district magistrate licence, the formulation and the test certificate.
Can crackers be bought online?
No. The court banned online sales, Hindustan Times reported. Sales are allowed only at designated locations.