Supreme Court Questions Delhi-Only Firecracker Ban, Calls for Pan-India Policy

The Supreme Court on Friday questioned why the ban on firecrackers applies only to Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR), stressing that citizens across India are entitled to a pollution-free environment. The court suggested that any prohibition must be part of a nationwide policy rather than limited to one region.
A bench led by Chief Justice Bhushan R Gavai, while hearing pleas from firecracker manufacturers, said, “If citizens in NCR are entitled to pollution-free air, why not people in other cities?” The court observed that air quality in cities such as Amritsar is often worse than Delhi, and restricting the ban to NCR unfairly targets one region.
Manufacturers argued that thousands of families depend on the firecracker industry for their livelihood and that their licenses, valid until 2027-28, are being cancelled due to the ban. They also claimed that “green cracker” alternatives have not been properly considered by the Centre and expert bodies.
The court directed the Centre to consult with NEERI and submit a status report on green crackers. It also maintained status quo for now and scheduled the next hearing for September 22, ahead of Dussehra and Diwali. The bench emphasized that if firecrackers are to be banned, the restriction must be uniform across the country to ensure fairness.