00:00Diwali celebrations in Delhi NCR have received a conditional green signal from the Supreme Court.
00:05After years of restrictions and blanket bans, the top court has allowed certified green crackers for two days,
00:12November 7th and November 8th.
00:14And even on those two days, there's no free pass to burst crackers whenever you want.
00:18Two-time windows have been provided by the Supreme Court for celebrations of both days.
00:23There are also strict conditions, no cracker zones, a complete ban that returns from November 9th.
00:29So what exactly has the Supreme Court allowed?
00:32Which crackers can be used? Where can they be burst?
00:34And what happens to those violating the rules?
00:36Let me break that down for you.
00:38The Supreme Court has permitted green crackers for just two days in Delhi NCR, November 7th, November 8th.
00:44The timings are clearly defined too.
00:46On both days, crackers can be burst only between 6 to 7am in the morning and 8 to 10pm in
00:52the night.
00:53In other words, there's a one-hour morning window and a two-hour evening window.
00:58Adding up to just three hours each day.
01:01Outside these specified timings, bursting crackers will not be permitted.
01:06But even within these hours, not every cracker is allowed.
01:09Only green crackers certified by CSIR NEERI and authorized under the PESO regulations can be manufactured and sold.
01:17Every box must carry a product-specific QR code to establish its authenticity.
01:22The Supreme Court has also drawn clear geographical boundaries.
01:25During the permitted hours, crackers cannot be burst within a 300-metre radius of hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district
01:33health centres, old age homes and educational institutions.
01:37The restriction also covers notified silence zones.
01:41These areas will be declared no-cracker zones with authorities directed to mark and publicize them.
01:46So even if you're bursting certified green crackers within the permitted time window, the location matters.
01:53The idea is to ensure that celebrations do not come at the cost of patients, elderly citizens and others vulnerable
01:59to noise and pollution.
02:00The Supreme Court has also directed authorities to monitor the impact of the celebrations.
02:05The Central Pollution Control Board, the CPCB, along with State Pollution Control Boards will track air quality before, during and
02:12after Diwali.
02:14And that will continue till November 30th.
02:16Authorities have been asked to prevent the entry of illegal firecrackers, conventional firecrackers into Delhi NCR.
02:23Post-festival cleaning and proper waste management has also been emphasized.
02:27The larger objective is to assess whether regulated use of green crackers can balance festive celebrations with environmental concerns.
02:36The Supreme Court has allowed that limited window for green crackers.
02:41Green crackers are of course designed to reduce emissions compared with conventional firecrackers.
02:46If you're celebrating Diwali with green crackers and live in Delhi, remember these rules, follow them.
02:51Because it's part of the larger controlled pollution plan.
