Green Crackers This Diwali: Allowed in Delhi, but Are They Clean?
This year Delhi-NCR may burst certified green crackers on 7 and 8 November, for three hours a day. Here is what the rules say, what makes a cracker ‘green’, and why cleaner is not the same as clean.
By Saurabh Dhakad, PhD scholar, Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Change Lab, School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University · · 4 min read
Diwali falls on 8 November this year, and in many Delhi homes the question is simple: can we burst crackers? This year the answer is yes, but only green crackers, only on two days and only for three hours a day. In this post we look at what the rules say, what a green cracker actually is, and what it means for the air we breathe.
What is allowed this year
On 29 October 2026 the Supreme Court allowed the sale and bursting of certified green crackers in Delhi-NCR for a limited period. The main points are:
- Bursting only on 7 and 8 November, between 6 and 7 am and between 8 and 10 pm.
- Only crackers certified by CSIR-NEERI and PESO and listed on the NEERI website. Each sealed box must carry a product-specific QR code.
- Sale only at places named by the district authorities. Online sale is not allowed.
- Joined ‘ladi’ crackers, garlands and anything containing barium are banned.
- No crackers within 300 metres of hospitals, schools, old-age homes and silence zones.
- The full ban returns from 9 November.
The court noted that the complete ban had not worked well on the ground, partly because conventional crackers were being sold as green ones. The Central Pollution Control Board has been asked to report air quality before, during and after the festival.
What makes a cracker ‘green’
Green crackers were developed by CSIR-NEERI. They use smaller shells, fewer chemicals and dust suppressants, and they leave out barium compounds, which give the bright green colour in ordinary fireworks. To be certified, a cracker must cut particulate matter by at least 30%, or cut particles by 20% and gases by 10%, and stay below 125 decibels. SWAS crackers release water vapour to settle dust, SAFAL crackers use less aluminium, and STAR crackers use a modified thermite that gives out less SO2 and NO2.
Cleaner, not clean
A 30% cut still leaves 70%. When lakhs of crackers go off within a few hours on a cold, calm night, the smoke has nowhere to go. A shallow layer of air near the ground traps it, the same inversion that holds our winter smog in place.
Last year gives a warning. Green crackers were allowed for Diwali 2025 too. An analysis of CPCB data by Climate Trends found that the 24-hour average PM2.5 after Diwali reached 488 µg/m³, more than three times the pre-festival level of 156.6 µg/m³ and the highest of the five years it compared. Weather, other sources and illegal crackers all played a part, so this does not mean green crackers alone caused it. It does show that how much we burn matters more than the label on the box.
Research also raises new questions. A 2023 study found 30–60% less barium in particles from four green cracker types than from ordinary fireworks. But a Delhi Technological University study of Diwali 2019 found that green crackers seemed to give a higher share of ultrafine particles, which travel deep into the lungs. That was one site on one night, so more careful testing is needed.
What this means for us
If your family plans to celebrate with crackers, a few simple steps help: buy only from licensed shops and scan the QR code, stay within the allowed hours, keep away from hospitals and schools, and simply burst fewer. Children, older people and anyone with asthma or heart trouble are better off indoors with windows closed during the peak hours. Shared community displays at one open place, diyas and lights give the same joy with far less smoke. For scientists, this Diwali is also a natural experiment: careful measurements of what green crackers really release in Delhi’s air will help all of us choose better next year.
References and further readings
- Supreme Court of India. Arjun Gopal v. Union of India, W.P. (C) No. 728 of 2015, order dated 29 October 2026. Report: SCC Online, ‘Supreme Court allows green crackers in Delhi-NCR for Diwali 2026’, 4 November 2026.
- Bar and Bench. ‘Diwali 2026: Supreme Court allows bursting of green crackers in Delhi-NCR on November 7 and 8’, 2 November 2026.
- The Indian Express (via Vision IAS summary). ‘Green crackers create about 30% less pollution than conventional ones’, 18 October 2025.
- Outlook India. ‘Green crackers in Delhi-NCR this Diwali: what are they and how much do they cut air pollution?’
- ThePrint. ‘Delhi’s post-Diwali air quality plunges to 5-year low, CPCB data shows’ (Climate Trends analysis), October 2025.
- CSIR-NEERI. Green crackers and the CSIR-NEERI Green QR Code app.