The court had imposed a total ban on bursting firecrackers on public roads during Ganesh Chaturthi last month, citing air and noise pollutionIt had earlier taken suo motu cognisance of noise pollution during festivals.
Published: October 15, 2026, 9:26 PM IST
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The court had then taken suo motu cognizance of the issue of noise pollution during festivalsFile image/PTI
The Bombay High Court on Thursday clarified that its order prohibiting the bursting of firecrackers on public roads and streets will remain in force throughout the year, ahead of the Diwali festival.
A bench of Justices G S Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale said the “toxic pollution” from firecrackers affects every person, especially senior citizens and children, and the air pollution increases after Diwali.
During the Ganesh Chaturthi festival last month, the bench had ordered a complete ban on bursting of firecrackers on public roads, noting that it causes not only air pollution but also noise pollution.
The court had then taken suo motu (on its own) cognizance of the issue of noise pollution during festivalsOn Thursday, the bench remarked that the government and other authorities seemed to have no control over the bursting of firecrackers.
Also Read | ‘No complete ban on firecrackers’: Supreme Court refuses to put complete ban on Diwali firecrackers
“There is a state of lawlessnessWe are all bound by the Constitution, and the rights of citizens are paramountThe problem is the non-following of law,” the court said.
The bench said its earlier order banning firecrackers on public roads shall be applicable throughout the year and in respect of all festivals, noting that this would meet the ends of justice.
The court said the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) shall issue appropriate notices stating that the “burning of firecrackers at all public places, namely streets, lanes, and footpaths, shall not be permitted.”
The authorities shall also carry out a campaign to make citizens aware of the ill-effects of toxicity brought about by the bursting of firecrackers, the judges said.
‘Green’ firecrackers found to contain high levels of barium
Ahead of several major festivals, Awaaz Foundation, a nonprofit organisation, on Wednesday wrote to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis flagging the presence of potentially hazardous chemicals in ‘green’ firecrackers sold in the city.
Awaaz Foundation founder and environmental activist Sumaira Abdulali stated in the letter that the nonprofit had procured 17 varieties of firecrackers from Mohammed Ali Road and Kurla on October 9-10 and got them testedThe test reports, she said, revealed significant quantities of barium in firecrackers labelled ‘green’ or sustainable.
Barium content was as high as 27.405 per cent in a product named ‘Serpent Egg Big’ by Sri Patrakali Paper Caps, while in ‘Pooja Plain’ by Sriram Sparkelers, barium content was 13.613 per centOther samples, including ‘Leo’ by Jai Durga Sparkles and ‘Color Koti’ by Vinayaga Sonny, recorded 9.941 per cent and 8.74 per cent barium respectively.
