The Supreme Court on Wednesday laid down detailed interim guidelines permitting the sale and use of green firecrackers in Delhi and the NCR for a limited period around Diwali.
The directions aim to balance festive celebrations with environmental concerns.
Sale Period & Locations
- Sale of green firecrackers will be allowed from October 18 to October 20 (Diwali day).
- Sales must occur only at designated locations within the NCR. These sites will be identified by District Collectors in consultation with the Superintendent of Police and publicized widely.
Monitoring & Enforcement
- Police authorities, along with district administration, will form patrolling teams to monitor these sale points.
- Officers nominated by pollution control boards of NCR states will be part of these teams.
- Patrol teams will familiarize themselves with the green cracker products listed on the NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) website, including the registrations and QR codes issued to manufacturers.
Inspection & Quality Control
- Regular checks will ensure that only permitted, registered products with valid QR codes are sold.
- Patrol teams will also collect random samples for analysis, which will be sent to the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO).
- Any violation will lead to cancellation of the manufacturer’s license.
Usage Restrictions
- Firecracker use will be allowed only between 6:00 AM to 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM on the day before Diwali and on Diwali itself.
- Only licensed traders can sell green crackers produced by manufacturers registered with NEERI and licensed by PESO.
- Firecrackers not manufactured by registered/licensed makers will be confiscated immediately.
Prohibitions & Compliance
- No firecrackers will be allowed to enter the NCR from outside the region.
- Crackers containing Barium or not approved as green crackers by NEERI are banned; possession or sale will lead to confiscation.
- Firecrackers joined in series (commonly called laris) are banned for manufacture and sale.
- Sale or purchase of firecrackers via e-commerce platforms is prohibited; such consignments will be detained and confiscated.
- Licenses of traders that expired or were cancelled post-ban will be renewed for the specified period.
Environmental Monitoring
- The Central Pollution Control Board, alongside State Pollution Control Boards and regional offices in the NCR, will monitor the Air Quality Index daily from October 14 to October 25.
- SPCBs’ regional offices will also take samples of sand and water from areas with high firecracker use for further analysis.
- The Court emphasized that this relaxation is only a test case and is applicable strictly for the specified timeframe. Future decisions will depend on the environmental impact observed during this period.
Read More: Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, States High Court, International
