India, Oct. 21 -- An analysis of Delhi's pollution monitoring stations on the night of Diwali showed that the hourly PM2.5 levels in the city this year touched an average of 786, the highest since 2021, and more than 30 times what is considered safe by India's own standards. And it was not difficult to guess why. This told a story that the city has heard too often: the aftermath of Diwali.

The Supreme Court's experiment with "green" firecrackers was meant to balance tradition with science. It didn't work along the expected lines. "Green" firecrackers, as this newspaper and many scientists have explained, are only less polluting, not non-polluting. The apex court's October 15 order tried to impose guardrails - only certified "green" crack...