The Tamil Nadu government has allotted two one-hour slots for bursting firecrackers on Diwali. The state said that crackers can be burst only between 6 am-7 am and 7 pm-8 pm.
The state government also issued guidelines for bursting crackers. It said, “Try outdoor community celebration with fire crackers that are low on decibel and pollution.”
The state government warned against using loud chain crackers.
On 23 October, the Supreme Court had refused to place a blanket ban on the sale of firecrackers. The court, however, ordered that people burst crackers that are low on decibel and pollution.
The Tamil Nadu state government had filed a petition and urged the court to allow firecrackers to be burst on Diwali morning from 4:30 am to 6:30 am as it goes in accordance with religious practices of the state.
Diwali in Tamil Nadu this year is on the early morning of 6 November. By practice, people wake up early at dawn, take oil bath, wear new clothes, do prayers and start the celebrations with the bursting of crackers.
The Supreme Court later ruled the time will be changed in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry but cannot exceed two hours a day.
The SC bench had discussed that ordering a total ban on the sale would mean a complete ban on bursting of firecrackers on Diwali. With at least a year to go before green crackers can come to the market, such a ban would not be realistic.
The Supreme Court had also said that on the eve of Christmas and New Year's night, fireworks will be allowed between 11:55 pm and 12:30 am.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)