NEW DELHI: In a relief to residents of Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court on Tuesday modified its order which had fixed 8 pm to 10 pm as slot for bursting firecrackers on Diwali and other festivals, saying that authorities in states are at liberty to change the timings but the duration will not exceed two hours a day.
The court was hearing a plea by TN government which sought permission for the bursting of crackers on Diwali morning in accordance with the religious practices in the state.
A bench comprising Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan also made it clear that its October 23 direction allowing the manufacture and sale of only green crackers, which have low emission of light, sound and harmful chemicals, was meant for the Delhi-national capital region (NCR) and it was not applicable pan-India.
The bench was told by the counsel appearing for Tamil Nadu that as per religious practices in south Indian states the bursting of firecrackers on Diwali was done in the morning and they should be given permission to burst crackers between 4.30 am and 6.30 am.
CM reacts
When reporters asked Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami about the Supreme Court’s order, he said that he would consult with the legal experts and the government would decide according to it.