Air Pollution After Deepavali: The Debate Over Green Crackers, Firecracker Rules and Public Health
Severe air pollution returned to Delhi-NCR after Deepavali (8 November 2026), reopening the debate on whether "green crackers" really work and whether firecracker rules are being followed.
Ahead of the festival, the Supreme Court allowed approved green crackers in Delhi-NCR only on 7 and 8 November 2026, in two time slots (6–7 AM and 8–10 PM). The complete firecracker ban was restored from 9 November.
Delhi's 24-hour average Air Quality Index (AQI) on Deepavali day was 376 ("very poor"), the highest on the festival day since 2021, per Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data.
On the morning of 9 November, the city's AQI stayed in the "very poor" range, and at least 15 monitoring stations recorded "severe" readings above 400.
The debate now covers three questions: whether green crackers cut pollution enough, whether the rules are enforced, and how to protect public health.
Green Crackers: Less-Polluting Firecrackers and the Law Behind Them
Green crackers are firecrackers made with a changed chemical recipe so that they release less smoke, dust and harmful gases than normal crackers. They were developed in India by the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur. They are less polluting, not pollution-free. Only crackers approved under this system can be sold as "green".
The spike in pollution despite the "green crackers only" rule is why the debate has returned. Critics point out that green crackers still pollute, that fake products are hard to catch, and that a 30% cut is small when thousands of crackers are burst on one night in already-polluted winter air.
Air Quality Index (AQI) Framework
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a single number, from 0 to 500, that tells people how clean or polluted the air is on a given day. Instead of reading many separate numbers for different pollutants, people get one figure and one colour. The higher the number, the worse the air. India's National AQI was launched in October 2014.
The AQI figures are the evidence at the centre of this debate. A "very poor" reading means even healthy people may suffer breathing trouble with long exposure, which is why courts and experts weigh festival celebrations against public health.
Article 21 and the Right to a Clean Environment
The right to a clean and healthy environment is a Fundamental Right in India, even though the Constitution does not use these exact words. The Supreme Court has read it into Article 21, which protects the right to life and personal liberty. Courts have said that "life" means a life with dignity, which includes breathing clean air and drinking clean water. This is why courts can step in and regulate activities, like bursting firecrackers, that badly pollute the air.
The green-cracker window for Deepavali 2026 was a court-made compromise between the right to clean air under Article 21 and festival traditions and livelihoods. The poor air after the festival has renewed the question of whether that balance protects public health well enough.
- Deepavali 2026: 8 November
- Supreme Court window for approved green crackers in Delhi-NCR: 7 and 8 November 2026, 6–7 AM and 8–10 PM; full ban restored from 9 November
- Delhi 24-hour AQI on Deepavali day: 376 (very poor), highest Deepavali-day reading since 2021
- At least 15 Delhi stations above AQI 400 (severe) on the morning of 9 November 2026
- Green crackers: developed by CSIR-NEERI; about 30% lower particulate emissions; barium nitrate not allowed
- National AQI launched October 2014; 8 pollutants; 6 categories
- Article 21 (right to life) includes the right to a clean environment (Subhash Kumar v. State of Bihar, 1991)