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The Supreme Court on Friday, September 26, allowed certified manufacturers to produce green firecrackers in Delhi and the adjoining NCR districts but said they cannot be sold in the region until further orders.

A bench led by Chief Justice BR Gavai, with Justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria, made it clear that only manufacturers authorised by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) will be permitted to operate. Manufacturers must also give an undertaking that none of the firecrackers produced will be sold in Delhi-NCR.

The bench said an absolute prohibition had proved difficult to enforce, citing the example of Bihar where a complete mining ban had led to illegal networks. Chief Justice Gavai said that livelihoods also had to be factored in, stating: "What is the problem in allowing them to manufacture if they follow norms? Extreme orders will create problems. Let them manufacture but not sell in NCR till further orders."

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The court also asked the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to hold consultations with state authorities, manufacturers and citizen groups before taking a final call. The matter will be heard again on October 8.

The ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR was first imposed by the National Green Tribunal in 2017 and endorsed by the Supreme Court in 2018. It was tightened in December 2024 and reaffirmed in April 2025, when the court said a year-round ban was necessary given the "horrible" air quality in the region. Following that order, neighbouring states extended similar restrictions to their NCR districts.

Despite this, firecrackers continue to be used illegally in Delhi during Diwali, raising questions about enforcement.

At a hearing earlier this month, the Supreme Court questioned why restrictions were limited to Delhi-NCR, observing that if clean air was a right for citizens of the capital, it should equally apply across the country. Chief Justice Gavai remarked: "If firecrackers are to be banned, they should be banned throughout the country."

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