Tamil Nadu sets two-hour window for Diwali firecrackers

The state has fixed two one-hour slots for bursting firecrackers: 6 am to 7 am and 7 pm to 8 pm. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has also appealed to the public to pick green, low-noise crackers. 

These are designed to cause less air and noise pollution than conventional ones. The board has suggested that celebrations be held collectively at approved places rather than in every lane and street.

The two-hour limit is not a new rule. It comes from a 2018 Supreme Court order that restricted firecracker use on Diwali across the country to a single two-hour period, originally 8 pm to 10 pm.

Tamil Nadu approached the court with a request to allow morning crackers as well, since Deepavali in the state starts before sunrise with the traditional oil bath. 

The court agreed to let Tamil Nadu and Puducherry choose their own timings, provided the total did not go beyond two hours a day.

The state has followed the same pattern since then.

Other regions have their own arrangements. In Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court has allowed only certified green crackers on November 7 and 8, and a complete ban is set to return from November 9.

Police and local officials normally keep a closer watch during the festival. Their attention goes to two things in particular: the sale of crackers by unlicensed vendors, and bursting outside the notified hours.

District administrations have been issuing temporary licences to cracker shops in the weeks before the festival, and those without a licence risk action.

People who spot illegal sales can call 100, while 112 is the number to reach in an emergency.

Families are being reminded of simple safety habits that matter on a crowded festival day. Crackers should be lit outdoors and away from homes, vehicles and dry material.

Children should be supervised by an adult, and a bucket of water should be kept close by.

For many households, the slots mean planning the day around the clock: oil bath and prayers early in the morning, then the evening celebration soon after dusk.

Officials hope the limited window, together with the push for green crackers, will keep pollution levels in check during the festive period.