Chennai: The Tamilnadu government today said people will be allowed to burst firecrackers between 6 am and 7 am and 7 pm and 8 pm on Deepavali, in line with the Supreme Court directive.
A government release also urged people of the State to burst crackers with low decibel and pollution levels.
“Based on the Supreme Court verdict, the Tamilnadu government permits bursting of crackers between 6 am and 7 am and 7 pm and 8 pm,” the release said.
Further, it asked people to avoid bursting firecrackers near hospitals and places of worship.
The Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board would study the air quality seven days before and after the festival in all the Corporation limits.
On 30 October, the State government had said it would consult stakeholders regarding the Supreme Court’s decision of allowing the State to pick a two-hour slot for bursting firecrackers on Deepavali.
The apex court had modified its earlier order of fixing an 8 pm-10 pm slot for bursting crackers on Deepavali, saying the time would be changed in southern States like Tamilnadu and Puducherry, but not exceed the two-hour duration. Deepavali falls on 6 November in the State.
On Tuesday, a bench, comprising justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan, observed that the direction for permitting green crackers was meant for the Delhi-NCR region and was not pan-India. The apex court was hearing several applications filed by the Tamilnadu government and firecracker manufacturers seeking modification and clarification of its 23 October order.
On Monday, the Tamilnadu government urged the apex court to allow firecrackers to be burst on Deepavali morning in accordance with religious practices in the State, besides the already permitted 8 pm to 10 pm period.
The counsel appearing for firecracker manufacturers told the court that it was not possible to come up with green crackers this Deepavali since there was no set composition for manufacturing them.
The Tamilnadu government’s plea, filed through advocate B Vinod Khanna, said the State should be given permission to burst firecrackers between 4.30 am and 6.30 am as well.
According to the petition, each State or sect has a separate set of beliefs and traditions as far as Deepavali celebrations are concerned and the apex court’s restriction would amount to “denying the people with their due religious rights and would subject the people of the State to much hardship”.