Chennai, Nov 4:
Ahead of the upcoming Deepavali festival, the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services Department has cleared and granted No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to 10,244 temporary retail firecracker outlets across the state.
The statutory clearances pave the way for retail fireworks vendors to set up seasonal sales stalls across municipal corporations, towns, and rural markets.
Official data released by the department indicated that a total of 12,098 applications had been submitted statewide by prospective traders seeking temporary licenses. Following stringent field assessments and fire safety inspections, authorities rejected 940 applications for failing to satisfy essential safety criteria, while 914 submissions remain under active scrutiny and verification.
Under established statutory protocols, traders intending to operate temporary firecracker shops are mandated to obtain tripartite clearances from the Fire and Rescue Services Department, the respective local civic body, and the police department. Officials emphasized that obtaining the fire safety NOC constitutes the primary baseline requirement, following which vendors can secure final operational licenses from municipal and police authorities.
In addition to licensing clearances, the department and regulatory agencies reiterated safety norms governing the festive season, urging the public to purchase certified green firecrackers that minimize noise and air pollution. Authorities also reminded citizens to strictly adhere to the designated daily time windowsâpermitting the bursting of crackers between 6:00 AM and 7:00 AM in the morning and from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM in the eveningâwhile avoiding continuous high-decibel firecracker garlands.