Chennai Police Commissioner Sandeep Rai Rathore has issued an advisory to members of the public, to celebrate Deepavali festival safely.
The advisory said that as per the orders of the Supreme Court, only green firecrackers made of permitted chemicals that are environment-friendly can be sold and burst. Crackers should be burst only between 6 a.m. & 7 a.m. and between 7 p.m. & 8 p.m.
According to Rule 89 of The Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, no firecrackers that make over 125 decibels of sound, can be manufactured, used or sold. Chinese-made crackers also should not be sold or used.
Residents are advised not to burst crackers near flammable objects. Bursting of firecrackers near motorcycles, scooters or places where petrol products are stored should also be avoided.
Last year, 14 cases were registered against cracker shops in the city for violating rules and 271 cases were registered against persons who burst crackers outside of the permitted time and beyond the permitted decibel level, and were prosecuted, the police said.
In case of any fire accidents, members of the public should immediately contact the Police Department helpline 100, the Fire & Rescue Department’s helpline 101, the emergency 108 or the national helpline 112.
