New Delhi, Oct. 29: Questioning the Centre and Delhi government over the absence of data on enforcement of its directions following the temporary relaxation of the firecracker ban in Delhi-NCR in 2025, the Supreme Court on Thursday said its orders would become “a mere mockery” if they were not implemented on the ground.
A bench comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh and Justice Prasanna B. Varale said the authorities must disclose what action was taken after the court permitted the limited sale and use of green crackers in October 2025, including whether enforcement teams were constituted, inspections and searches carried out, prohibited firecrackers seized and prosecutions initiated.
While indicating that it was not inclined at this stage to impose a complete ban, the bench said the authorities could not be allowed to treat its directions casually. “We are not inclined to completely ban it, but please do not push us to take a very hard stand on this matter,” the court said, taking note of public sentiment associated with festivals.
The bench said it would pass an order within a couple of days and asked the authorities to place on record an affidavit detailing the steps taken, difficulties encountered in implementation and measures proposed to strengthen enforcement. It also indicated that the proceedings would remain pending to enable continued monitoring.
Amicus curiae senior advocate Uttara Babbar told the court that no comprehensive report had been filed on compliance with the October 15, 2025 order, which had permitted green crackers for a limited period as a test case subject to safeguards including designated sale points, patrolling, QR-code verification, random sampling, seizure of prohibited products and air-quality monitoring.
She also pointed to gaps in pollution and enforcement data, including incomplete readings from several air-quality monitoring stations during Diwali night, and submitted that conventional firecrackers were being sold under green labels while QR codes were at times missing, non-functional or fraudulent.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati acknowledged that pollution levels had risen during the period when firecrackers were permitted and that enforcement data had not been placed before the court. She said the CPCB had filed AQI data in November 2025, though the amicus maintained that it did not address the full range of enforcement measures directed by the court.
Pramod kumar is a Senior Journalist, Covering Supreem Court of India
