What exactly are green crackers? Will it turn the sky black this Diwali in Delhi NCR?

The Supreme Court on Wednesday permitted the bursting of green crackers for Diwali between October 18 and 21 in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). The apex court allowed the bursting of firecrackers from 6 am to 8 am and again from 8 pm to 10 pm within the designated period. The sale of green crackers will also be allowed only between 15 and 25 October at specified sites.

What are green crackers?

The green crackers are redesigned into more environmentally friendly ones by reducing shell size, eliminating ash, minimising raw material use, and ensuring consistent quality. Additives are also used as dust suppressants to lower emissions, particularly of particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO₂), and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).

These green crackers achieve at least a 30 per cent reduction in PM, or alternatively, a 20 per cent reduction in PM along with a further 10 per cent or more reduction in gaseous emissions. All reductions are measured in comparison with conventional firework compositions within the same category, according to the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute(CSIR NEERI).

Will green crackers turn the sky black in Delhi NCR?

While green firecrackers are designed to emit 20–30 per cent reduced-size matter, however, experts warned that they still release harmful pollutants and are difficult to regulate effectively, according to a report in the Times of India.

Meanwhile, activist Bhavreen Kandhari asserted that even green crackers are far from safe. “CSIR-NEERI data shows only about a 30% drop in emissions under lab conditions. In Delhi’s winter, when pollution gets trapped under cold air, that reduction becomes meaningless. A single night of fireworks can poison the air for days. Allowing crackers, green or otherwise, means asking the youngest and oldest among us to pay the price,” she said.

Experts cautioned that Delhi could witness severe pollution level than last year in this Diwali, as air quality has already begun deteriorating following the withdrawal of the monsoon. Sunil Dahiya, founder of think tank EnviroCatalysts, said, “With emissions from transport, power, and construction already high, any relaxation on crackers—even green ones—will push Delhi deeper into the severe pollution category.”

In addition, Delhi Technological University's study found in 2022 that even green crackers produce high concentrations of ultrafine particles capable of penetrating deep into the lungs.