Chennai: Days after the Supreme Court stipulated two hours for firing crackers on Diwali citing pollution and environment concerns, the State government on Friday permitted bursting of crackers for an hour from 6 am to 7 am and from 7 pm to 8 pm on Deepavali, which falls on November 6.
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board would conduct air quality level checks in all the corporations seven days before and after the festival, an official release said and added that it was everyone’s duty to ensure a pollution-free environment.
Since the apex court had rejected the State government’s plea to grant an additional two hours time for bursting crackers and had advised it to determine the two-hour slot, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to allow bursting of crackers from 6 to 7 in the morning and from 7 to 8 in the evening, the release said.
Taking this into account, the government appealed to the people to burst crackers of lesser decibel levels and lesser pollution as well. Crackers should be burst in open places after getting due permission from the local bodies. Apart from avoiding bursting high decibel crackers, crackers should not be fired near hospitals, places of worship, near hutments and at places prone to catch fire. This would ensure celebration of an accident-free Deepavali.
On October 23, the Supreme Court, acting on a PIL which sought a ban in the manufacture and sale of firecrackers in the country, had permitted the bursting of firecrackers between 8 and 10 pm for Deepavali across the country. The Tamil Nadu government had requested a bigger window to burst crackers in the state on account of the tradition of celebrating Deepavali early in the morning.
Modifying its order, the apex court stated the timing for bursting crackers could be determined by respective state governments but it should not exceed two hours. The court declined to grant any additional time for bursting crackers. The press release also serves as an advisory for bursting firecrackers in the state with a list of do’s and don’ts while lighting fireworks.
