Summary
A Supreme Court Bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and P.B. Varale has ruled out a nationwide ban on firecrackers ahead of Deepavali, observing orally that a total ban would hurt sentiments. It also said it would not allow bursting round the clock and would consider fixing specific time windows.
The Court found merit in a CSIR-NEERI report, placed before it by Additional Solicitor-General Aishwarya Bhati for the Centre, on next-generation barium-free "joined" (series) green crackers. According to the report, these crackers cut emissions by about 30% compared with conventional joined crackers and reduce solid waste by 4% to 32% through smaller shell sizes.
NEERI recommended that they meet the noise limit of 125 dB(AI)/145 dB(C) peak, follow approved formulations and be made only by licensed manufacturers. The Court gave the Central Pollution Control Board and the Union government more time for further barium and decibel tests.
WHY IN NEWS FOR UPSC & STATE PCS
Ahead of Deepavali and the winter pollution season, the Supreme Court declined a nationwide firecracker ban. It backed CSIR-NEERI's next-generation barium-free joined green crackers, which reportedly cut emissions by about 30% and signalled that it would set time windows for bursting instead of allowing it round the clock.
Standard News
The Cracker Got Cleaner. The Rules Around It Still Aren't Enforced. Start with
what has been promised. In Arjun Gopal v. Union of India (2018), the Supreme Court allowed only reduced-emission and green crackers and limited bursting on Diwali to two hours, 8 pm to 10 pm. The green crackers of that time were described as cutting particulate matter by roughly 30-35%.
Eight years later, the Court is again considering a cracker that is about 30% cleaner: CSIR-NEERI's barium-free next-generation joined crackers, which also cut solid waste by 4% to 32%. The chemistry has done its part twice.
The real question is why Diwali air has not improved to match.
Per-unit emissions are only one part of the total What people breathe on Diwali night depends on four things multiplied together:
- Emissions per cracker: this is what NEERI's work reduces.
- Number of crackers burst: no rule caps this.
- Hours over which they are burst: this is what time windows are meant to control.
- The weather that night: in late autumn, cold, still air near the ground traps smoke close to where people live. A 30% cut in the first factor is a real gain. But if the number of crackers goes up because buyers see them as "safe" or bursting spreads well beyond the permitted hours, the total pollution load can stay the same or rise. NEERI's report also notes that bursting duration in the new joined crackers is about five times longer. A per-unit emissions figure says nothing about how that affects people's total exposure over the evening.
Where exactly the chain breaks The weak link is not science and it is not the law.
The 2018 judgment and the Environment (Protection) Rules already set formulations, noise limits and time windows. The gap is in enforcement at the point of sale and use:
- Market checks: Distinguishing a certified green cracker from a conventional one being sold in green packaging requires testing that local markets rarely get.
- Time windows: Policing a two-hour limit across every neighbourhood on a single night is beyond the capacity of local police. There are reports of bursting continuing for hours past 8-10 pm limits in cities such as Amritsar.
- No volume control: Neither the 2018 judgment nor the current proposal caps how many crackers are burst. Formulation and timing are the only controls.
What deserves credit The Court's approach is defensible.
A total ban, as Delhi-NCR's experience shows, is hard to enforce and creates strong public resistance. Barium-free chemistry removes a toxic component completely, which is a real health gain whatever the volume. Asking CPCB to keep testing before final approval is the right way to proceed.
The exam insight: In environmental regulation, a technological fix reduces emission intensity, while enforcement controls the total load. A good answer on firecrackers or on vehicles or industry, shows that an improvement in intensity alone cannot deliver cleaner air without limits on volume and time.
Quick Facts
Key numbers & takeaways — revise these first
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Bench: Justices M.M.
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Sundresh and P.B.
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Varale, Supreme Court of India.
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Decision: no nationwide total ban on firecrackers; bursting will not be allowed round the clock; specific time windows under consideration.
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Centre's counsel: Additional Solicitor-General Aishwarya Bhati.
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Scientific body: CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI).
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Product: next-generation joined (series) green crackers made without barium.
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Reported emission reduction: about 30% compared with conventional joined crackers.
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Reported solid-waste reduction: 4% to 32%, through smaller shell sizes.
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Noise limit: 125 dB(AI) or 145 dB(C) peak, as set under the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986.
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Manufacturing conditions: approved formulations, banned chemicals excluded, licensed manufacturers only.
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Landmark precedent: Arjun Gopal v.
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Union of India (2018), which permitted only reduced-emission and green crackers and fixed bursting at 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali.
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Constitutional basis: Article 21, interpreted to include the right to a pollution-free environment.
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Further tests: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the Union government given more time for barium and decibel testing.
Connect the dots for your UPSC preparation.
Standard news covers the event. Log in to read our comprehensive analysis and uncover the hidden constitutional, structural, and ethical dimensions of this topic:
The four-factor breakdown of Diwali pollution (emission per cracker × number burst × duration × winter weather) and why NEERI's 30% improvement addresses only the first.
The 2018-versus-2026 comparison: green crackers promised a 30-35% PM cut eight years ago and why the chemistry has improved twice while results on the ground have not.
A clear diagnosis of the three weak points in enforcement: certification checks in markets, policing the time windows and the complete absence of any limit on volume.
A practical way forward, from QR-coded certification and community bursting zones to real-time air-quality triggers that tighten the windows on high-smog nights.
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