TN government announces time slots for bursting crackers this Diwali

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu government has announced that crackers can only be burst in the state for an hour in the morning and evening during Diwali.

The state government has said people can burst crackers between 0600hrs and 0700 hrs, and then again between 1900hrs and 2000hrs during the festival. This is to keep a check on rising pollution levels observed during and in the days after Diwali. This year, the State Pollution Control Board will monitor air quality for seven days before and after the festival in all corporations, reports news agency ANI.

Bursting crackers has been seen as a major cause behind pollution levels spiking in various parts of the country. The Supreme Court late October took a grim view of the situation and ordered that crackers be burst only between 0400hrs and 0500hrs and from 2100hrs and 2200hrs in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and other southern states during festivals.

The apex court also said that in Delhi, where pollution levels are among the highest in the world, only green crackers - crackers with less fumes and smoke - can be used. It also prohibited e-commerce from selling crackers.

While the SC order has been a major cause of celebration for environmentalists, not everyone is celebrating. Many political leaders have said that courts ought not to decide the timing and duration of celebrating festivals. Law enforcement agencies too are rather unsure about how to check on violators. Meanwhile, cracker manufacturers and retailers have been reporting plummeting sales.