Supreme Court permits 'new-generation' joint firecrackers with stricter emission and noise limits

The Supreme Court of India has modified its long-standing stance on joint firecrackers, granting permission for the use of "new-generation" joint crackers. This decision partially relaxes the 2018 prohibition on conventional joint crackers, known as laris, provided the products adhere to strict technical specifications regarding shell dimensions, quantity, and burst frequency.

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Fireworks at night

The shift in regulatory status follows a technical evaluation conducted by a consortium of the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO). The mechanism of the new-generation joint crackers differs from conventional laris primarily through a redesign of the bursting sequence and physical composition.

In conventional joint crackers, the burst rate was recorded at approximately 25 braids per second, leading to intense, concentrated noise and emission spikes. The new-generation design reduces this intensity to five braids per second, effectively stretching the duration of the event and lowering the peak impact. Furthermore, the use of smaller shells has resulted in a 30% reduction in emissions and a decrease in solid waste generation by between 4% and 32%.

It is critical to distinguish these new-generation joint crackers from "Generation-2 green crackers," as the Court is treating these as two distinct regulatory tracks. While the new-generation joint crackers have received a green light based on their physical redesign, Generation-2 green crackers-which involve chemical reformulations to reduce barium salts and nitrates-remain under scientific review.

Preliminary data from CSIR-NEERI indicates that Generation-2 formulations could reduce PM10 and PM2.5 emissions by 45-60% compared to traditional fireworks. However, the Supreme Court has mandated further ambient air quality impact studies across four cities-Delhi, Bhopal, Kolkata, and Chennai-with final findings expected by October 15, 2026. Until these outdoor tests are completed and the CPCB submits its report, the status of barium-containing Generation-2 crackers remains pending.

Regarding the general operation of fireworks, the Supreme Court clarified that it will not impose a total ban but will instead restrict use to specific time windows. The exact hours of operation will be determined following the submission of the CPCB's report.

Notably, this ruling does not resolve the specific legal status of firecrackers within the Delhi-NCR region. Due to overlapping litigation in the M.C. Mehta vs Union of India case, the restrictions for the National Capital Region will be handled by a separate designated Bench.