Deepavali 2026: All you need to know about Supreme Court-permitted time slots, green crackers and other directives

The Supreme Court on November 2, 2026 described bursting of firecrackers during Deepavali as a “religious practice” while permitting the use of green firecrackers for two days, on November 7 and November 8, in Delhi-NCR.

Supreme Court calls Deepavali fireworks a ‘religious practice’, allows green crackers for two days in Delhi-NCR storyline 1 The unregulated use of firecrackers during Deepavali has historically led to a sharp rise in the Air Quality Index (AQI) and pollution levels, including the emission of particulate matter, the court observed.

“The right of an individual to engage in a particular practice, which may have a religious colour, is only a qualified one and cannot go beyond the Constitutional restrictions,” the Supreme Court held.