India, Oct. 13 -- The Supreme Court on Monday called for a "practical and pragmatic" approach to regulating firecrackers ahead of the festive season. The bench, hearing its suo motu case on air pollution in Delhi-NCR, will take up the matter again on October 15.

The hearings have drawn attention back to green firecrackers, which are designed to produce fewer emissions than conventional ones. The court first permitted them in 2018, when it restricted conventional fireworks, though Delhi-NCR has seen blanket bans in multiple years since.

Conventional fireworks get their bang, colour and burn from a mix of fuel, oxidisers (chemicals that supply oxygen so the mix burns fast and hot) and metal salts. Green crackers alter this mix. Formulatio...