India, Oct. 2 -- The Supreme Court has loosened its hold on firecrackers once more. On Wednesday, it cleared "next-generation" laris, the chains of crackers that go off one after another, for use nationwide ; these were previously banned for spewing excessive emissions than most firecrackers. The court also declined a total ban on crackers, citing the need to accommodate sentiments, and left room for barium-based crackers (barium, when burnt, emits particularly harmful gases) if tests due by October 15 clear them. This is the second such relaxation in a year.

The timing could hardly be worse. Diwali falls on November 8, in the thick of the farm-fire season, when cool, heavy air keeps smoke close to the ground. Last October, the court all...