A post claiming that “the Supreme Court of India declared a ban on the sale and use of firecrackers which was previously confined to the Delhi-NCR region” is being shared on social media. Let’s verify the claim made in the post.
Claim: The Supreme Court bans firecrackers across India
Fact: The Supreme Court did not impose a complete ban on all firecrackers. Instead, it ruled that firecrackers made with barium and prohibited chemicals are banned nationwide. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
On a relevant keyword search, we came across an article by Live Law and the First post that discussed the detailed judgment. The Supreme Court clarified that its earlier directions against the use of barium and banned chemicals in firecrackers are applicable across the country, binding all states.
After a thorough review of the order from Justices AS Bopanna and MM Sundresh on 7 November 2023, we found that the order was made while they were considering a request to make Rajasthan follow the court’s ban on specific firecrackers to reduce air and noise pollution. The Supreme Court held that a new order is not required for this issue because the Supreme Court has previously issued several orders that specify actions to reduce air and noise pollution. These orders are now applicable to all states in India, including Rajasthan.
In its 2018 ruling, the Supreme Court issued guidelines related to “green crackers” with the intent of mitigating the environmental impact of fireworks and enhancing air quality. The Court mandated firecracker producers to manufacture and market eco-friendly or “green” fireworks that emitted fewer pollutants and generated less noise. The ruling also set specific time restrictions for igniting fireworks during festivals to minimize disruptions to the general public.
In a 2021 ruling, the Supreme Court issued guidelines to prevent the use of prohibited chemicals in Diwali fireworks. The order mentioned a few prohibited chemicals including barium slats and specified that only firecrackers containing these chemicals were banned, and “green crackers” continued to be allowed, following the 2018 Supreme Court directions.
Factly had previously published an explainer article about the court and tribunal instructions related to fireworks.
To sum up, the Supreme Court ruled that firecrackers made with barium and prohibited chemicals are prohibited nationwide.
