Delhi’s air turned poor on Wednesday. The Supreme Court hears the pollution case today, and the big question is green crackers before Diwali.
Updated: 29 October 2026, 10:00 IST
Quick Read:
- The Supreme Court was scheduled to hear Delhi-NCR pollution cases on Thursday, 29 October 2026.
- Delhi’s average AQI rose to 229 on Wednesday, from 197 on Tuesday. That is the “poor” band.
- Making green crackers was allowed earlier. Selling them was not. Sale is the key question today.
What the court hears today
The Supreme Court was scheduled to hear matters on Thursday about rising pollution in Delhi-NCR, stubble burning, and the sale of green firecrackers ahead of Diwali. That is what Telangana Today and IANS reported on 29 October 2026.
This is not one small case. It covers how Delhi breathes in winter. It covers smoke from fields. It covers crackers during the festival. It also covers what the Centre and the states must do next.
A full ban on making, storing, and using all types of firecrackers is already in force under an earlier Supreme Court order for Delhi-NCR. That ban was put in place to fight the region’s pollution crisis.
At the last hearing, the court gave a limited opening. It allowed makers to produce green crackers for Delhi-NCR. But it said clearly: permission to make them does not mean permission to sell them. That sale question is still open.
Why Delhi’s air matters right now
Delhi’s air got worse on Wednesday. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) put the city average AQI at 229. On Tuesday it was 197.
On the CPCB scale, 101 to 200 is moderate. 201 to 300 is poor. 301 to 400 is very poor. 401 to 500 is severe. So Delhi moved from moderate to poor in one day.
Times Now reported on 29 October 2026 that 41 of Delhi’s 58 monitoring stations were in the poor band on Wednesday. Sixteen were moderate. One station, Vivek Vihar, recorded 316. That is very poor.
This ended a four-day run of moderate air. It happened before Diwali. That timing is why the court case matters this week. Festival smoke, winter weather, and field smoke often mix in late October and November. The mix traps dirty air close to the ground.
What a judge said about Diwali air
A courtroom remark on Wednesday caught attention. Justice Vikram Nath said Delhi’s air will be very bad after Diwali. He said this during a hearing on a pollution-linked petition.
Senior advocate Indira Jaising had asked for a matter to be listed on 17 November, after Diwali. The other side wanted an earlier date. Justice Nath pointed out that air after the festival is usually worse, not better.
He also made a practical point. Lawyers can work from home in a hybrid system. Judges cannot. Judges must sit in court in person to hear cases. Outlook India reported this remark on 28 October 2026. Times Now reported the same exchange on 29 October 2026.
This remark is not a ruling on crackers. Do not read it as a final order. It shows the court’s worry about the days after Diwali. The actual cracker decision was still to come in Thursday’s hearing.
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What are green crackers?
Green crackers are made to release less smoke and less harmful chemicals than normal crackers. They still make light and sound. They are not smoke-free.
The court had earlier asked the Central Government to talk to all sides and work on a balanced policy for making and using crackers in Delhi-NCR. The court also said public awareness and voluntary action may work better than orders that are hard to enforce on the ground.
For readers, the simple test is this: a cracker is legal in Delhi-NCR only if the court and the local rules allow its sale and use at that time. Making a cracker in a factory is a different step from selling it in a shop or bursting it at home. Mixing up those steps causes confusion every year.
What to watch in today’s hearing
Watch for four clear answers. First, will the court allow sale of green crackers in Delhi-NCR, and for how many days? Second, will it set strict time limits for bursting? Third, what will it say about stubble burning and state action? Fourth, what will it say about enforcement on the ground?
No final order from Thursday’s hearing was confirmed in the sources checked at writing time. The hearing was scheduled for Thursday. Readers should check the court’s order itself, not social media claims, before buying or bursting any cracker.
The AQI jump from 197 to 229 in one day is the clearest early warning in this story. It happened before Diwali, not after it. That means Delhi entered the festival week already in the poor band. The risk is not a single bad day. It is a poor base getting worse.
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FAQ
Q: Are firecrackers banned in Delhi-NCR?
A: A complete ban on making, storing, and using all types of firecrackers remains in force under an earlier Supreme Court order, as reported on 29 October 2026. Green cracker production got a limited allowance. Sale was not allowed at that stage.
Q: What was Delhi’s AQI on Wednesday?
A: The city average was 229, in the poor band. Vivek Vihar recorded 316, in the very poor band. CPCB data was cited by Times Now on 29 October 2026.
Q: What should Delhi residents do today?
A: Wait for Thursday’s court order before buying crackers. Check the CPCB AQI for your area in the morning and evening. People with asthma, heart problems, or breathing trouble should limit outdoor time on poor-air days and keep medicines ready.
Sources: Telangana Today and IANS, 29 Oct 2026; Times Now, 29 Oct 2026; NDTV headlines, 29 Oct 2026; Outlook India, 28 Oct 2026.
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