Fireworks light up the skies at Velachery on the occasion of Deepavali in Chennai on October 20, 2025.
| Photo Credit: B. Velankanni Raj
The Greater Chennai City Police registered 319 cases for violating firecracker regulations during Deepavali, including bursting of crackers beyond the permitted hours.
In line with Supreme Court directions, the Tamil Nadu Government had issued an advisory restricting the bursting of crackers between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. It also prohibited the manufacture, sale, and use of crackers producing sound levels above 125 decibels.
City police personnel were deployed across various neighbourhoods to monitor compliance. From Sunday (October 19, 2025) morning to Tuesday (October 21) morning, 319 cases were booked for bursting crackers outside the permitted time slots. These were registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the City Police Act, with the highest number of cases reported in Pulianthope and Washermenpet areas.
Decline in fire-related calls
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services (TNFRS) control room received 43 fire-related calls across the State on Deepavali day (October 20), compared to 150 calls last year.
G. Sathiyanarayan, Joint Director of TNFRS, said, “Over 1,000 personnel were on duty within Chennai city limits. We received only 15 fire calls linked to cracker bursting, compared to 48 incidents last year. The reduction is mainly due to the rainfall.”
He added that the department had conducted awareness campaigns in schools and colleges and organised a ‘Come and learn’ programme for the public on October 11 and 12 at all fire stations. “We also see growing awareness among the public about the ill-effects of bursting crackers,” Mr. Sathiyanarayan said.
Published – October 21, 2025 01:36 pm IST
