Guide

Safe and green Diwali: a practical checklist

Last updated: 3 November 2026

Diwali is about light, not injuries. Every year hospitals see a rush of burn and eye cases on Diwali night, most of them avoidable. Here is a short checklist to keep your celebration happy, and kinder to the air we all breathe.

Before you light anything

• Check your city's rules. Many states allow only green crackers and only in fixed time windows on Diwali night.
• Buy green crackers from licensed sellers. Certified green crackers carry the CSIR-NEERI logo and a QR code you can scan.
• Keep a bucket of water and a bucket of sand ready, plus a first aid kit.
• Wear cotton clothes. Synthetic fabrics and loose dupattas catch fire easily.
• Choose an open space, away from cars, dry leaves, curtains and balconies.

While lighting crackers

• Light with a long agarbatti or a sparkler held at arm's length, never a matchstick close to your face.
• Light one cracker at a time and step back immediately.
• Never relight a cracker that did not go off. Wait, then pour water on it.
• Never hold anaar or chakri in your hand, and never light a rocket from a bottle that can tip over.
• An adult should supervise children at all times. Drop used sparklers into a bucket of water.

If someone gets a small burn

• Hold the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes.
• Do not apply ice, toothpaste, butter or haldi; they trap heat and raise infection risk.
• Remove rings or tight items near the burn before it swells, then cover it loosely with a clean cloth.
• For burns to the face, eyes, hands or large areas, or any eye injury, go to a hospital at once. Do not rub the eye.
• Emergency numbers in India: 112 (all emergencies), 101 (fire), 108 (ambulance in most states).

Look out for others

• Elderly people and anyone with asthma: keep windows closed during peak hours and keep inhalers handy.
• Pets: keep them indoors in a quiet room with the curtains drawn and some music on. Never tie a dog outside on Diwali night.
• Street animals: do not light crackers near them or under parked cars where they hide.

Ways to celebrate with less smoke

• Light more diyas and fewer crackers. Clay diyas from local potters also support small families.
• Make a rangoli with flowers and natural colours.
• Hang an akash kandil or paper lanterns instead of plastic lights.
• Share the fun digitally: a firework card they can light makes no smoke at all.

Have a bright, safe Diwali.