The Tamil Nadu government on Friday announced timings for bursting firecrackers in the state after the Supreme Court allowed it to decide its own two-hour slot, while rejecting its demand additional two hours.

The state government had urged the Supreme Court to allow bursting of firecrackers on Diwali morning as per religious practices in the state, besides the already permitted period between 8 PM to 10 PM.

However, the court rejected the demand for two hours extra duration but had granted liberty to the authorities of the states concerned to change the timings for the bursting of firecrackers.

People in the state can now burst crackers from 6:00 am to 7:00 am and 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm during Diwali.

An official statement advised the public to burst fire crackers with reduced emissions and less noise and to avoid bursting of laris or garland crackers.

Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board will monitor air pollution in all the corporations seven days before and after Diwali.

Diwali is celebrated in the state early in the morning to commemorate the death of Narakashura, the evil slain by the Goddess in the early hours of dawn, it said.

The top court had on October 23, said that people in the country can burst firecrackers from 8 PM to 10 PM only on Diwali and other festivals and had allowed manufacture and sale of just "green crackers" which have low emission of light, sound and harmful chemicals.

It had carved out an exception for the Christmas and the New Year eve saying that crackers for these occasions would be burst between 11.55 PM and 12.30 AM, since these celebrations start at midnight.

It also banned the manufacture, sale and use of joined firecrackers (series crackers or laris) saying that they cause "huge air, noise and solid waste problems".

The apex court had said the noise and smoke emission limits of the crackers will have to be approved by the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organization (PESO), under the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.