The State government has made an appeal to the people to celebrate a noiseless, smoke-free and safe Deepavali this year also.
In a press release issued here on Monday, the Information and Public Relations Officer, Thanjavur, said Deepavali was one of the important festivals celebrated in the country.
Wearing of clothes, distribution of sweets and bursting of crackers with colourful lights was customary for many generations.
However, bursting of crackers had a negative impact on the lives of people and the environment and the Supreme Court, while disposing a PIL seeking ban on the production and sale of crackers in October 2018, had instructed the manufacture crackers using raw materials that would reduce emission besides directing the manufactures to switch over to production of Green crackers.
It had also urged the officials to create adequate awareness of air and noise pollution caused due to bursting of crackers and encourage the community to burst crackers at a particular place and period of time.
Hence, like in the previous years, the State government granted permission to the people to burst crackers between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. and from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. this year.
At the same time, the revellers were advised to avoid bursting of serial crackers as it created huge noise and not to burst crackers near hospitals, schools, courts, religious places, huts and other fire-prone areas.
Calling upon the people to celebrate Deepavali as a ‘festival of lights’ in an environment friendly manner rather than bursting of noisy and smoke emitting crackers, the revellers were advised to burst green crackers that produced less pollution and low noise at a common place with the permission of the District Administration or local bodies through the local Welfare Associations, the release added.
