Ahead of Deepavali 2025, the Supreme Court of India relaxed the fireworks ban in Delhi–NCR, allowing sale of green crackers approved by the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), balancing festivity with environmental safety.

About Green Crackers

• Development: Developed by CSIR and NEERI to address pollution from traditional fireworks.
• Goal: Designed to exclude harmful chemicals like barium nitrate, the green crackers aim is to reduce particulate matter and toxic emissions during Diwali.
• Limitation: Only reduce pollution by 30–35%, making them better than conventional crackers but not a true “Green Diwali”.

The Real Issue

• Delhi’s Air Condition: The average PM 2.5 levels are about 20 times above WHO safe limits. Pollution is chronic, not limited to festival days.
• Persistent Pollutants: Major contributors include: Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana, vehicular emissions, construction dust, industrial emissions.
• Evidence from Reports: The Lancet report emphasizes that Delhi’s pollution is a year-round problem, peaking visibly during winter. 
  • Firecrackers act as a “final blow” to an already unhealthy system.

Way Forward

• Treating the Root Cause: Focusing solely on Diwali crackers is treating symptoms, not the structural problem. 
  • Example: The measures like the 2016 Odd-Even scheme were temporary fixes.
• Citizen Participation: The Responsibility for clean air must extend year-round, not limited to festival WhatsApp debates.
  • Active citizen engagement is essential for monitoring and promoting sustainable practices.
• Social and Political Priority: Continuous discussion of environmental issues in the public sphere will pressure policymakers and corporate actors.
  • Environmental protection must become both a social norm and political priority.

Conclusion

A truly green Diwali begins with clean air year-round, not seasonal bans. India must shift from symbolic restrictions to systemic reforms—curbing stubble burning, vehicular and industrial emissions—so that celebration and sustainability coexist in harmony.

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