New Delhi, November 3, 2026: In a follow-up order on November 2, the Supreme Court permitted the limited use of certified green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR on November 7 and 8, the two days around Diwali. The Court imposed strict time windows and retained no-cracker zones around hospitals, educational institutions and other sensitive places.
Fireworks may be burst only from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. on both November 7 and November 8. Diwali falls on November 8 this year. The complete ban on firecrackers across Delhi-NCR is to return from November 9.
Where firecrackers are prohibited
The 300-metre no-cracker restriction set out in the Court’s October 29 directions applies around hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health centres, old-age homes, notified silence zones and educational institutions. These locations are to be marked and publicised as no-cracker zones.
Only approved green crackers allowed
The temporary relaxation is limited to green crackers certified by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research–National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). Manufacturers may make only the approved products listed on the CSIR-NEERI website during November 2–6.
The Court has prohibited the manufacture and sale of joined-series firecrackers, commonly called ladis, and garlands. Crackers containing barium and products that are not approved as green crackers are also prohibited. Legal reporting on the order says product packs must carry batch-specific QR codes so authorities can verify their identity and certification.
Sales and licence conditions
Bar & Bench reported that traders whose licences had been cancelled may have them temporarily restored from November 4 to 6 to facilitate the sale of approved green crackers. Sales are to be confined to designated locations; online sales are not permitted. Authorities have been directed to prevent illegal and conventional firecrackers from entering the region and to enforce the restrictions.
What residents should remember
- Permitted dates: November 7 and 8, 2026.
- Permitted hours: 6–7 a.m. and 8–10 p.m. on each day.
- Only approved, certified green crackers may be used.
- No fireworks within 300 metres of specified hospitals, care facilities, educational institutions and silence zones.
- Conventional, barium-containing, unapproved, joined-series and garland crackers remain prohibited.
- The complete Delhi-NCR firecracker ban returns on November 9.
The order is a narrow, time-bound relaxation, not a general permission to use fireworks. Residents should follow local police and district-administration notices, especially for the exact boundaries of no-cracker zones and designated sales points.
Sources: Akashvani / News on AIR; The New Indian Express; Bar & Bench legal report.
