Karnataka firecracker timings for Deepavali have been restricted to a two-hour window from 8 pm to 10 pm, Environment Minister Ramalinga Reddy announced on Friday, as the state seeks to limit pollution while allowing festival celebrations to continue.
Reddy said firecrackers would be permitted across Karnataka only during the specified period, aligning the state’s enforcement approach with Supreme Court directions. He has also pushed for the use of certified green crackers, which he said generate lower emissions than conventional fireworks.
The minister instructed the additional chief secretary to write to the police commissioner and every district commissioner across Karnataka. The communication is intended to ensure that the guidelines reach law-enforcement and administrative authorities responsible for implementing the restrictions in cities and districts.
“The directions are meant to reach the top of the administrative and law enforcement machinery. The two-hour slot follows the Supreme Court’s order,” Reddy told reporters. He stressed that celebrations must remain within the 8 pm to 10 pm period.
The Supreme Court has recently advocated a balanced approach to firecracker use, saying it would neither impose a complete ban nor permit unrestricted use. The court has said that a framework should specify both the permitted time for fireworks and the types of crackers that may be used.
Reddy linked the restrictions to concerns over the scale of firecracker use and its effect on air quality. He said that firecracker use had increased substantially compared with his childhood, when fewer fireworks were set off during the festival. According to the minister, the larger volumes used today contribute directly to higher pollution levels.
The announcement places responsibility for implementation on both the state administration and the police machinery. Residents will be expected to limit firecracker use to the notified two-hour period, while district administrations and police authorities will be responsible for communicating and enforcing the instructions across Karnataka.
Reddy also urged children and young people to exercise caution while bursting crackers and encouraged residents to choose certified green crackers. He said the government was not seeking to discourage festival celebrations, but wanted them to take place within the established rules and regulations.
With Deepavali a week away, the next administrative step is the circulation of the guidelines from the additional chief secretary to the Bengaluru police commissioner and district commissioners across the state.
