The Bombay High Court extended its public-road firecracker ban across the entire year. The order prioritises public health and citizens' right to a pollution-free environment.
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Mumbai,Oct 16, 2026 20:20 IST
The Bombay High Court has imposed a year-round ban on bursting firecrackers on public roads and streets, warning that unchecked festival celebrations were turning urban centres into "toxic gas chambers", news agency Press Trust of India reported.
The court said festival celebrations could not come at the cost of public health and expressed concern over alarming air pollution levels in Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Kalyan-Dombivli, particularly after the monsoon.
A bench of Justices Girish Kulkarni and Neela Gokhale said on Thursday that its August order banning firecrackers on public roads and streets during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival would remain applicable throughout the year. The latest order was made available on Friday.
According to PTI, the court noted that the Air Quality Index in some parts of Mumbai had recently touched 425, even before Diwali celebrations begin in November. It said bursting firecrackers would worsen the toxicity in the air, making it difficult for people to breathe clean air and carry out their daily activities.
"Unchecked celebrations during festivals were turning urban centres into toxic gas chambers," the court said.
"The celebrations certainly need to take place, however, they cannot be at the cost of breaching the legal and constitutional rights of thousands of citizens, who are seriously and adversely impacted," it added. The court said every citizen had the fundamental right to a pollution-free environment.
The bench directed the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, municipal corporations and the police to set up complaint mechanisms, appoint nodal officers and launch public awareness campaigns within a week. It also ordered that field staff be equipped with decibel meters to monitor noise levels.
The order came in a matter initiated by the High Court in August over rising noise pollution during the Ganpati festival. The court will hear the matter again on November 25.
The year-round ban seeks to prevent firecrackers on public roads and streets from worsening air and noise pollution while protecting citizens' right to a pollution-free environment.
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