Cracking of firecrackers only between 8 and 10 p.m., says the minister

To prevent excessive air and noise pollution during the Deepavali festival, the Karnataka government has issued a series of instructions to officials, including restricting the bursting time of crackers from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm and also filing criminal charges against vendors who possess the banned non-green crackers.

In a directive to officials, Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Ramalinga Reddy said that only green biscuits should be allowed and that they should be authenticated using an emblem and a QR code. Bursting of crackers will not be allowed near hospitals, educational institutions and other restricted areas, he said.

The minister said that deputy commissioners of districts should form squads of both officials and non-officials to inspect the sheds of firecracker sellers and confiscate stocks if they sell non-green varieties. He directed the officials to create public awareness about the eco-friendly way of celebrating Deepavali through leaflets and hoardings at public places.

He asked the officials to focus on scientific disposal of the cracker waste collected during the festival. He said illegal transportation of banned biscuits from other states should be seized along with the vehicles.

Pointing out that both the Supreme Court and the High Court have issued guidelines to prevent environmental hazards in bursting of crackers, he asked the Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and Commissioner of Local Bodies to inform the officials about these guidelines so that they can be effectively implemented.

Published – 30 Oct 2026 23:07 IST