NEW DELHI: A mix of anticipation and anxiety has gripped Delhi with the Supreme Court hinting that it may allow the sale of green crackers in the city just a week before Diwali. The apex court is likely to deliver its verdict on Monday. While many residents welcomed the prospect of fireworks returning to the skies, calling it an essential part of festive celebrations, others expressed concern that weak enforcement could once again pave the way for regular, more polluting and noisier crackers - turning the city into a "gas chamber and boom box".
When TOI visited several key markets, shopkeepers said they didn't have firecrackers - green or not - in stock, but many claimed that "others are selling it".
Return of firecrackers? Why green activists are not bursting with joy
The permission, likely to be granted, would bring back the bursting of crackers within the legal ambit for Diwali, Gurpurab and Christmas after five years. Green firecrackers are designed to emit 20-30% less particulate matter than conventional ones, but experts argue that they still release harmful pollutants and are difficult to regulate effectively. They warn that enforcement of such selective permissions could prove challenging, given Delhi's already strained pollution control mechanisms.
SC last week reserved its order on the sale of green crackers after earlier, in Sept, allowing certified manufacturers to produce them in Delhi-NCR. Manufacturers welcomed the development, recalling how a complete ban during last Diwali led to widespread use of conventional fireworks despite restrictions. They argue that bringing green crackers back into the market could help formalise the trade and reduce illegal manufacturing.
According to Rajeev Kumar Jain, a member of Delhi Fireworks Traders Association , the move could curb black marketing and encourage safer options. "There's a reason the Chief Justice said that if they don't permit crackers, a mafia will be created. Those engaged in illegal work must face the law, but allowing green crackers gives people cleaner and safer choices. Like food has FSSAI certification and jewellery has hallmarking, firecrackers too can have checks and balances. The goal should be to offer people better alternatives rather than push them toward illegal and more harmful options," he said.
Jain added that innovations have significantly improved the new range of green crackers, with 80-90% of the same varieties and effects - sky shots, chakris, showers - but with a modified composition that converts emissions into water vapour. "There's huge demand across India, not just during Diwali. From Janto Dec, there are at least 20 festivals where fireworks are used, cutting across regions and religions. But only Diwali faces such scrutiny, which feels unfair," he said.
However, environmentalists and health experts remain deeply sceptical. Activist Bhavreen Kandhari argued that even so-called green crackers are far from safe.
"Science, economics and common sense all point to the same truth - there is nothing truly 'green' about green crackers. The CSIR-NEERI's own data shows only about a 30% drop in emissions, and that too under controlled lab conditions. In Delhi's winter, when pollution gets trapped under a blanket of cold air, that reduction becomes meaningless. A single night of fireworks can poison the air for days. Allowing crackers, green or otherwise, means asking the youngest and oldest among us to pay the price for nostalgia. Clean air is not a privilege - it's a constitutional right under Article 21," she said.
Parents of young children echoed similar concerns. Neha G Jain, a mother of two aged two and nine, urged the court to prioritise public health over festivity. "Children are already suffering from toxic air, battling asthma and lung disease. The so-called 'balanced approach' tilts toward manufacturers, not the vulnerable population of NCR. My children depend on nebulisers daily. The polluted air doesn't care whether a cracker is labelled 'green' or not - it harms them all the same. Diwali can be just as beautiful without crackers," she said.
Experts also fear this Diwali could be more polluted than the last, given that air quality has already started dipping following the withdrawal of the monsoon. Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at think tank EnviroCatalysts , warned that allowing even green crackers could worsen the situation.
"With the emission load from other sectors like transport, power, and construction likely to be higher this year, any relaxation on crackers - green or otherwise - will make matters worse. The city is already struggling with deteriorating air quality, and any added pollution will push it deeper into the severe category," he said.
According to the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, green crackers are made by reducing the size of the shell, eliminating ash and using additives that act as dust suppressants. These crackers can be identified by a green CSIR-NEERI logo and encrypted QR codes on the packaging to ensure authenticity. However, a Delhi Technological University study in 2022 found that even green crackers release high concentrations of ultrafine particles which can easily penetrate deep into the lungs.
When TOI visited several key markets, shopkeepers said they didn't have firecrackers - green or not - in stock, but many claimed that "others are selling it".
Return of firecrackers? Why green activists are not bursting with joy
The permission, likely to be granted, would bring back the bursting of crackers within the legal ambit for Diwali, Gurpurab and Christmas after five years. Green firecrackers are designed to emit 20-30% less particulate matter than conventional ones, but experts argue that they still release harmful pollutants and are difficult to regulate effectively. They warn that enforcement of such selective permissions could prove challenging, given Delhi's already strained pollution control mechanisms.
SC last week reserved its order on the sale of green crackers after earlier, in Sept, allowing certified manufacturers to produce them in Delhi-NCR. Manufacturers welcomed the development, recalling how a complete ban during last Diwali led to widespread use of conventional fireworks despite restrictions. They argue that bringing green crackers back into the market could help formalise the trade and reduce illegal manufacturing.
According to Rajeev Kumar Jain, a member of Delhi Fireworks Traders Association , the move could curb black marketing and encourage safer options. "There's a reason the Chief Justice said that if they don't permit crackers, a mafia will be created. Those engaged in illegal work must face the law, but allowing green crackers gives people cleaner and safer choices. Like food has FSSAI certification and jewellery has hallmarking, firecrackers too can have checks and balances. The goal should be to offer people better alternatives rather than push them toward illegal and more harmful options," he said.
Jain added that innovations have significantly improved the new range of green crackers, with 80-90% of the same varieties and effects - sky shots, chakris, showers - but with a modified composition that converts emissions into water vapour. "There's huge demand across India, not just during Diwali. From Janto Dec, there are at least 20 festivals where fireworks are used, cutting across regions and religions. But only Diwali faces such scrutiny, which feels unfair," he said.
However, environmentalists and health experts remain deeply sceptical. Activist Bhavreen Kandhari argued that even so-called green crackers are far from safe.
"Science, economics and common sense all point to the same truth - there is nothing truly 'green' about green crackers. The CSIR-NEERI's own data shows only about a 30% drop in emissions, and that too under controlled lab conditions. In Delhi's winter, when pollution gets trapped under a blanket of cold air, that reduction becomes meaningless. A single night of fireworks can poison the air for days. Allowing crackers, green or otherwise, means asking the youngest and oldest among us to pay the price for nostalgia. Clean air is not a privilege - it's a constitutional right under Article 21," she said.
Parents of young children echoed similar concerns. Neha G Jain, a mother of two aged two and nine, urged the court to prioritise public health over festivity. "Children are already suffering from toxic air, battling asthma and lung disease. The so-called 'balanced approach' tilts toward manufacturers, not the vulnerable population of NCR. My children depend on nebulisers daily. The polluted air doesn't care whether a cracker is labelled 'green' or not - it harms them all the same. Diwali can be just as beautiful without crackers," she said.
Experts also fear this Diwali could be more polluted than the last, given that air quality has already started dipping following the withdrawal of the monsoon. Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at think tank EnviroCatalysts , warned that allowing even green crackers could worsen the situation.
"With the emission load from other sectors like transport, power, and construction likely to be higher this year, any relaxation on crackers - green or otherwise - will make matters worse. The city is already struggling with deteriorating air quality, and any added pollution will push it deeper into the severe category," he said.
According to the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, green crackers are made by reducing the size of the shell, eliminating ash and using additives that act as dust suppressants. These crackers can be identified by a green CSIR-NEERI logo and encrypted QR codes on the packaging to ensure authenticity. However, a Delhi Technological University study in 2022 found that even green crackers release high concentrations of ultrafine particles which can easily penetrate deep into the lungs.
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