Are firecrackers allowed in Delhi for Diwali 2026?

Only certified green crackers are allowed, and only on 7 and 8 November 2026. The Supreme Court has permitted bursting between 6 am and 7 am and between 8 pm and 10 pm on those two days across Delhi-NCR.

What are the firecracker timings in Delhi-NCR?

6 am to 7 am and 8 pm to 10 pm, on 7 and 8 November 2026 only. Outside these windows, bursting crackers is not permitted under the court's order.

Where are firecrackers not allowed even during the permitted hours?

The court said no fireworks may be burst within a 300-metre radius of hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health centres, old-age homes, notified silence zones and educational institutions. Authorities have to identify and publicise these no-cracker zones.

Which crackers are allowed?

Only green crackers made by manufacturers holding valid CSIR-NEERI and PESO certification, and listed on the CSIR-NEERI website. Crackers containing barium, crackers not approved by CSIR-NEERI and series crackers, also called ladis, are not allowed.

When does the firecracker ban come back in Delhi?

The court said the complete ban on firecrackers in Delhi-NCR will be restored from 9 November 2026.

Green Crackers Allowed in Delhi-NCR for Diwali 2026: Timings, No-Cracker Zones and What the Supreme Court Said, Explained

Diwali in Delhi-NCR will have a soundtrack this year, but a short and regulated one. The Supreme Court has allowed only certified green crackers to be burst on 7 and 8 November 2026, and only in two short windows each day. The order was made public on Monday, 2 November, the same morning Delhi's air slipped into the "very poor" category for the first time this season.

The bench of Justices M.M. Sundresh and Prasanna B. Varale said the complete ban on firecrackers will return on 9 November 2026.

The 60-second version

Dates: 7 and 8 November 2026 only. Diwali falls on 8 November.
Timings: 6 am to 7 am and 8 pm to 10 pm.
What is allowed: Only green crackers certified by CSIR-NEERI and PESO and listed on the CSIR-NEERI website.
What is banned: Barium crackers, non-certified crackers and series crackers (ladis).
No-cracker zones: 300 metres around hospitals, nursing homes, health centres, old-age homes, silence zones and educational institutions.
After Diwali: The complete ban is back from 9 November 2026.

The timings at a glance

Date	Morning window	Evening window
Saturday, 7 November 2026	6 am to 7 am	8 pm to 10 pm
Sunday, 8 November 2026 (Diwali)	6 am to 7 am	8 pm to 10 pm
From Monday, 9 November 2026	Complete ban restored	Complete ban restored

What the Supreme Court ordered

According to The Hindu, The Indian Express and PTI, the court's order, dated 29 October and made available on Monday, lays down these conditions:

Certified green crackers only. Manufacturers with valid CSIR-NEERI and PESO certification may make only the green crackers uploaded on the CSIR-NEERI website, and only between 2 and 6 November 2026.
No barium, no ladis. Crackers containing barium, crackers not approved by CSIR-NEERI and series crackers or garlands cannot be made or sold.
No-cracker zones. No bursting within 300 metres of hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health centres, old-age homes, notified silence zones and educational institutions. These zones are to be marked and publicised.
Stop illegal supply. Authorities in Delhi-NCR must take steps to prevent the flow of illegal and conventional firecrackers.
Ban returns. "Needless to state that the complete ban on the firecrackers, as imposed earlier, shall be restored with effect from November 9, 2026," the bench said.

Times Now reported that the arrangement follows the pattern the court set in its order for Diwali last year.

Why the court allowed it, and why it set limits

The bench tried to balance two things. It described Diwali as a religious practice and an "international festival", The Hindu reported. At the same time, it stressed public health, noting that children, people with disabilities and the elderly are the most vulnerable to polluted air.

"All necessary efforts will have to be made to ensure due compliance," the court said, placing the burden of enforcement on the authorities.

Delhi's air right now

The order comes as pollution climbs ahead of the festival:

Delhi's AQI was 307 at 7:05 am and 312 at around 8 am on 2 November, in the "very poor" category, according to reports.
That was the first time this season the city's air crossed the 300 mark.
Sunday's 24-hour average AQI was 261, in the "poor" range.

Crackers are only one source of Delhi's winter smog, but the burst of smoke around Diwali night often pushes already poor air into worse categories.

What it means for you

Check the box: Buy only crackers with green cracker certification and a CSIR-NEERI listing. Ladis and barium crackers are not allowed.
Watch the clock: Stick to 6 am to 7 am and 8 pm to 10 pm on 7 and 8 November.
Know your zone: If you live within 300 metres of a hospital, school, old-age home or silence zone, you cannot burst crackers there.
Protect the vulnerable: Keep children, the elderly and anyone with breathing problems indoors when the air is at its worst.

What to watch next

No-cracker zone maps. Whether Delhi and NCR authorities publish the 300-metre zones before 7 November.
Enforcement. How police act against sales of conventional and illegal crackers.
Diwali night AQI. Whether air quality on 8 and 9 November stays within the "very poor" band or worsens.
The 9 November reset. How strictly the complete ban is enforced once the two-day window closes.

The court has given Delhi-NCR two short evenings of green crackers and a hard stop after that. Whether the city's air holds up will depend as much on enforcement on the ground as on the order itself.

This explainer is based on reporting by The Hindu, The Indian Express, The New Indian Express (PTI) and Times Now on the Supreme Court's order, made available on 2 November 2026, and on air quality readings reported the same day. Check local police and district notices for the no-cracker zones in your area.