Chennai: Though there were time and other restrictions in place to burst firecrackers, people in many parts of Chennai violated them on Deepavali day, causing air pollution in Chennai.
Experts said that the pollution has gone beyond permissable levels and it was equivalent to each person smoking 45 cigarettes. Meanwhile, the police jumped into action and filed cases against 373 persons for violating rules.
Tamilnadu government on Monday said only green crackers will be allowed to be burst on Deepavali on 4 November. The advisory, issued by the Principal Secretary of the State government’s Environment, Climate Change and Forest department, said that the State would adhere to the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court and avoid all joined firecrackers which lead to pollution.
The advisory allowed the bursting of only green crackers during two fixed time windows—between 6 am and 7 am and again between 7 pm and 8 pm—on Deepavali.
The government statement recalled the 2018 Supreme Court order directing that firecrackers can be manufactured only by using raw materials that will reduce emission levels.
The statement said the same has been reiterated in the court’s 29 October order including banning the use of barium salts in firecrackers and manufacturing and selling of joined firecrackers. While asking the public to stick to the mentioned time slots for bursting crackers on the Deepavali day, the state also said that bursting of crackers should be avoided in ‘silence zones’ like hospitals, schools, courts and religious places, near huts and other fire-prone areas.