To prevent excessive air and noise pollution during the Deepavali festival, the Karnataka government has issued a slew of instructions to officials, including restricting cracker bursting hours from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., and also filing criminal cases against vendors who are in possession of banned non-green crackers. 

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

The Minister said that Deputy Commissioners of districts should form squads comprising both officials and non-officials to inspect the godowns of firecracker vendors and seize the stock if they sell non-green varieties. He instructed officials to create public awareness about eco-friendly way of celebrating Deepavali through pamphlets and hoardings at public places.

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

Pointing out that both the Supreme Court and High Court had issued directives on preventing environmental hazards during bursting of crackers, he asked the Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, and Commissioners of local bodies to bring the directives to the notice of officials for effective implementation.