Firecracker ban in Delhi-NCR: Supreme Court reserves order, says bans alone aren’t working
PTC Web Desk: The Supreme Court on Wednesday reserved its decision on the ban on firecrackers in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), along with the rules linked to it. The order will now decide how the Diwali season is handled in the region.
During the hearing, the bench pointed out that the court issues directions on bursting crackers every Diwali, yet the rules are routinely flouted and the air quality problem refuses to go away.
The court observed that restrictions and directions on their own have not solved the issue. In its view, strict enforcement of the orders must go hand in hand with efforts to make people understand why the rules matter. Firecracker use during the festival, it noted, worsens air quality in Delhi and the surrounding areas.
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Court floats celebrity-led awareness drive
The bench also suggested bringing well-known public figures into an awareness campaign to persuade people to skip firecrackers. It cited cricketer Virat Kohli as an example of someone who could reach out to fans and the general public with the message.
The court said that when violations continue despite yearly directions, it is time to focus on changing public behaviour through awareness.
Pollution a long-standing concern
Air pollution in Delhi-NCR has been a serious worry for years, and firecrackers during Diwali tend to add to it. With the verdict now reserved, the final order is expected to bring clarity on what lies ahead for firecracker use in the region.
What happened in earlier years
This is not the first time the top court has dealt with the issue. In 2023, the Supreme Court declined to interfere with the Delhi government’s comprehensive ban on manufacturing, storing, selling and bursting firecrackers in the capital. The court later extended the firecracker ban to the NCR areas of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, in the MC Mehta air pollution case.
Last year the matter took a different turn. The court heard pleas to recall or modify its April 3 directive imposing a year-long blanket ban on firecrackers, including green crackers, in Delhi-NCR. Ahead of Diwali 2025, the bench said a complete ban was “neither practical nor ideal”, since such curbs are often violated and a balance is needed. The court then allowed limited sale and bursting of green crackers during Diwali, with the relaxation carefully regulated.
- PTC NEWS
