Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has issued an order restricting the use and bursting of firecrackers on Diwali, Christmas, and New Year. The timing has been restricted for a maximum of two hours: between 8.00 pm and 10.00 pm on Diwali on October 31 and between 11.55 pm and 12.30 am on Christmas and New Year. It has also been ordered that only the sale of green crackers will be permitted in the State.

The order has been issued based on a communication from the State Pollution Control Board. The SPCB has requested urgent measures to restrict/regulate the use and bursting of firecrackers during the Diwali festival. The board has informed that Kerala's ambient air quality index of the cities/towns has not gone below the 'moderate' category as per the monthly average data between September 2023 and September 2024. Hence, during the Diwali festival, usage and bursting of green crackers can be allowed only for 2 hours between 8 pm and 10 pm.

The National Green Tribunal has issued the direction that in the cities/towns where air quality is 'moderate' or below, only green crackers can be sold, and the timings for use and bursting of crackers shall be restricted to two hours during festivals like Diwali, Chatt, New Year/Christmas Eve etc. It was also directed that if the State specifies nothing, the timing will be 8 to 10 pm on Diwali and Gurupurb, 6 am to 8 am on Chatt and 11.55 pm to 12.30 am during Christmas and New Year's Eve.