Category: News

Shimla residents can burst firecrackers on Diwali this year for just two hours — from 8 PM to 10 PM on Sunday, 8 November 2026 — and only green firecrackers are allowed. The order was issued by Shimla Deputy Commissioner Anupam Kashyap on 2 November 2026.

The order follows the instructions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the State Department of Environment, Science, Technology and Climate Change, which have restricted fireworks to protect air quality in the hill town.

What the order says

  • Diwali (8 November 2026): fireworks allowed from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM only.
  • Only green firecrackers may be sold and used. These are crackers made with less polluting chemicals, as certified by the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute.
  • Same rule for other festivals: the two-hour window also applies to Gurpurab on 24 November 2026, Christmas on 25 December 2026, and New Year’s Eve.

How this matches the Supreme Court order

On 29 October 2026, the Supreme Court lifted its earlier ban on green crackers in the National Capital Region and allowed bursting from 7 to 8 November between 6 and 7 AM and 8 and 10 PM. Shimla’s order follows the same evening window of 8 to 10 PM, in line with the NGT’s directions for hill towns.

Why the two-hour window

Fireworks release fine particulate matter and toxic gases that hang in the air, and in a hill town like Shimla the smoke stays trapped between the ridges. The National Green Tribunal has therefore restricted bursting to a short evening window on festival days, and has pushed for green crackers, which were developed by the CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) with reduced use of harmful chemicals such as barium. In Delhi, the air quality was already in the very poor category on 5 November, with an overall AQI of 389 and several stations in the severe category, prompting GRAP Stage 2 measures in the NCR. Shimla’s air is cleaner than Delhi’s, but the district administration wants to keep it that way.

What residents should do

  • Buy only certified green crackers from licensed sellers. Look for the green logo and the QR code on the box.
  • Burst only between 8 and 10 PM on 8 November. Bursting outside the window can attract a fine and action under the Environment (Protection) Act.
  • Keep children and pets safe. Green crackers are less polluting, but they are still fireworks. Supervise children, keep a bucket of water nearby, and keep pets indoors.
  • Consider a quieter Diwali. The hill town’s narrow streets and cold air trap smoke, so even two hours of bursting can push Shimla’s AQI up sharply.

The district administration has directed the police and the pollution control board to monitor compliance, and sellers found stocking banned crackers can face seizure of stock.

Source: Him Times report on the Shimla DC’s order, 2 November 2026; Supreme Court order of 29 October 2026 as reported in national media.

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