Over 500 cases have been registered by police in Chennai for bursting crackers beyond the time stipulated by the Supreme Court. The apex court allowed bursting crackers only for two hours for Diwali.
Chennai police in a release said that according to the Supreme Court order, on the occasion of Deepavali, “crackers were allowed to burst for two hours only from 6am to 7am and from 7pm to 8pm. As per directions of Greater Chennai Police Commissioner Sandeep Rai Rathore police teams were indulged in intensive surveillance in their jurisdiction from November 11 to 13.
“Police teams engaged in intensive surveillance from November 11 to November 13 morning and 554 cases related to bursting crackers beyond the time specified by the Supreme Court, eight cases related to running firecracker shop in violation of Tamil Nadu Government rules and 19 cases regarding bursting of firecrackers with excessive noise, a total of 581 cases have been registered,” it said.
The Chennai police had issued a slew of guidelines, including on the two-hour duration to burst crackers. The police said, as per the orders of the Supreme Court, only green crackers made of permitted chemicals that are environment-friendly can be sold and burst.
In 2022, 271 cases were registered against persons who burst crackers beyond the permitted time and also for violating the decibel level directions, they said.
-with agency inputs.
