Overview

• Only NEERI/PESO‑certified crackers with QR codes may be sold at designated physical outlets, with online sales banned and supplies from outside NCR prohibited.
• Use is limited to two windows on the day before Diwali and on Diwali itself—6–7 am and 8–10 pm—after a restricted sale period set from October 18 to as late as October 21.
• Police patrols, spot checks, and licence suspensions are mandated, with district magistrates to assign sale sites and Delhi Police asked to fast‑track temporary licences within two days.
• CPCB and state boards must monitor and file daily AQI updates during the festival window, as experts warn verification gaps and already poor air could still drive pollution higher.
• Local rollouts vary, with Delhi operationalising licences and post‑Diwali stock returns, Lucknow approving 1,018 sanctioned outlets, and Odisha advising a 7–9 pm window for green crackers.