Overview

• A bench led by Chief Justice B. R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran said a blanket ban is neither practical nor ideal and reserved its decision after the October 10 hearing.
• The Centre and NCR states urged permission for only NEERI/PESO-approved green crackers with a proposed 8–10 pm window on Diwali, one-hour slots for Gurpurab, and late-night windows for Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
• Officials proposed strict controls including a ban on joint ‘laris’, sales only through licensed traders, and prohibition of online orders via e-commerce platforms.
• Enforcement measures placed on record include product QR codes, periodic inspections by PESO/NEERI/state pollution boards, random testing for banned chemicals, and penalties such as licence suspension and seizure.
• Amicus and experts cautioned about counterfeit ‘green’ products, limited local testing capacity, and only modest emission cuts of about 30–35%, as the Court considers revisiting the 2018 Arjun Gopal framework and finalizes precise conditions after its September 26 manufacturing-only allowance.