Delhi govt imposes permanent ban on crackers, Supreme Court informed

The Delhi government, on Thursday, announced a complete ban on all types of firecrackers in the national capital with immediate effect throughout the year, starting from January 1, 2025. According to a government order issued in this regard, the sale, storage, and use of firecrackers will be completely banned.

During the hearing on Thursday, the Delhi government informed the apex court about the complete ban on firecrackers amid the increasing air pollution in the city.

The Delhi government’s order states that under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, instructions have been given to impose a permanent ban on the manufacturing, storage, sale, and bursting of all types of firecrackers in the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.

“There is severe air pollution in Delhi, especially during the winter season and the levels of pollutants such as particulate matter concentrations (PM 2.5 and PM 10) far exceed the prescribed standards for air quality. The entire Union Territory of Delhi has been declared as an Air Pollution Control Area under Sub-section (1) of Section 19 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981,” the order further added.

It said that in view of the alarming situation, burning firecrackers increases air pollution during the festive season. Therefore, the Delhi government has imposed a complete ban on the sale and bursting of all types of fireworks in the NCT of Delhi from 2020 under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

Given the past incidents of deterioration in air quality during the months of October to January, there is a ban on manufacturing, storage, and sale of all types of firecrackers in the National Capital Region of Delhi during the coming years; the scope of the directions has been extended to impose a complete ban on (including distribution through online marketing platforms) and bursting of firecrackers.