SC allows states to fix 2 hour slot for crackers on Diwali

October 31: In partial modification to its earlier verdict delivered on 23 October, the Supreme Court of India allowed the states to decide their own two hour time slot for bursting fire-crackers. A bench of Justices A.K. Sikri and Ashok Bhushan, however, said the time slot should not exceed the two-hour limit set by the court. Earlier, the apex court had fixed a uniform slot for bursting crackers across the country during the festival of Diwali, which was from 8 PM to 10 PM.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court allowed relief after Tamil Nadu filed a plea seeking permission to burst crackers in the morning, from 4.30 am to 6.30 am, on Diwali. A similar plea was made by Puducherry also. The states were allowed to decide when people can burst crackers on Diwali, provided the total time does not cross the two-hour mark. This means the authorities can stagger the time-slots and even make it an hour in the morning and another in the night.

Further, the court said its direction that only green crackers can be manufactured and sold is applicable only to Delhi and the National Capital Region areas.