India Marks Diwali as Delhi Allows Lower-Emission Firecrackers

What changed

Diwali celebrations began across India on 6 November, filling homes, temples, offices and streets with oil lamps, colourful lights, prayers, sweets and fireworks.

In Delhi, however, the festival is unfolding amid the city’s most polluted Diwali in a decade. India’s Supreme Court has temporarily allowed certified “green” firecrackers in Delhi and nearby areas, designed to produce 20–30% fewer emissions than conventional fireworks.

Why it matters

The tension is visible in the festival itself. Diwali’s lamps and gatherings bring families and religious communities together, while fireworks add another burst of pollution to air already worsened by seasonal conditions and crop-residue burning.

The court’s compromise protects a place for fireworks while trying to reduce their cost to public health. But whether it works depends on two uncertain points: whether the lower-emission fireworks make a meaningful difference overall, and whether conventional fireworks can be kept out of Delhi from neighbouring states.

For millions celebrating Diwali, the festival remains rooted in prayers, family meals, gifts and the symbolism of light overcoming darkness. In Delhi, this year’s celebrations also test whether a limited regulatory change can keep that tradition from leaving an even heavier haze behind.