More Court Orders On Diwali Celebrations Lead To More Violations: Supreme Court
Supreme Court says controlling pollution during festivals cannot be achieved solely through judicial decrees.
The Supreme Court has said court orders on Diwali celebrations concerning firecracker use lead to more violations by the public of the judicial orders and such efforts should be more of a public movement.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana has made this observations during the hearing of the case In Re: Curbing Air Pollution in the National Capital Region - Regulatory and Policy Framework, Air Quality Governance and Other Ancillary Issues, addressing the worsening air quality in Delhi-NCR ahead of the winter season.
"The more orders the Court passes, the more violations there may be. That is the tendency. Involve local councillors. Ask them to appeal to people to ensure that their Diwali celebrations do not contribute to pollution. It should become a people's movement," the CJI observed today.
Amicus Curiae and Senior Advocate Aparajita Singh added to the court's observation and pointed out that the State "cannot have one police officer in every house."
The CJI also observed that the people should go back to traditional methods of celebrating festivals. Justice Bagchi added to this by saying that changes were made to celebrations owing to commercialization of festivals.
Court today was given an update through status reports and charts submitted by ASG Aishwarya Bhati. The Bench indicated that it will issue formal directions seeking compliance updates from the concerned authorities and listed the matter for detailed consideration after the Diwali vacations.
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court passed an order permitting bursting of green firecrackers in Delhi-NCR on November 7 and 8, 2026 while allowing people to burst them during designated morning and evening hours on the eve of Diwali and the festival day.
A bench of Justices MM Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale allowed the bursting of green crackers between 6 am and 7 am and again from 8 pm to 10 pm on both days. Court has directed that no firecrackers shall be burst within a 300-metre radius of hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health centres, old-age homes and notified silence zones. These areas, along with educational institutions, will be declared ‘No-Cracker Zones’ and appropriately marked and publicised, the Court has ordered.
Last week, while hearing the matter court had declined not to impose a complete ban on firecrackers. Court had indicated that it would not impose a total ban on firecrackers during the upcoming Diwali celebrations, while making it clear that unrestricted bursting throughout the day would also not be permitted. The bench was hearing the long-running proceedings concerning firecracker use and air pollution in Delhi-NCR, said a balance would have to be found by prescribing specific hours during which firecrackers could be used.
In September the court had observed that a complete prohibition could affect festive sentiments, while allowing firecrackers to be burst throughout the day would have a significant impact on people and other living beings, particularly children, elderly persons and those who are unwell. It therefore indicated that the use of firecrackers should be confined to specified time windows. The bench also considered the use of specified next-generation joint green crackers and has given the Centre and expert bodies time to assess the impact of barium-containing variants on ambient air quality.
Case Title: In Re: Curbing Air Pollution in the National Capital Region - Regulatory and Policy Framework, Air Quality Governance and Other Ancillary Issues
Bench: CJI Kant, Justice Bagchi and Justice Mohana
Hearing Date: November 6, 2026