Ahmedabad: City residents will be allowed to burst firecrackers for only 35 minutes each on Christmas and New Year, as per a notification issued by Police Commissioner G S Malik on Monday.

According to the order, firecrackers can be burst only between 11.55 pm and 12.30 am on the nights of December 24–25 and December 31–January 1. No crackers will be permitted outside this time window. The order has been issued under provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, the Gujarat Police Act, and in line with Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal guidelines.

Only green crackers approved by authorised agencies will be allowed. The manufacture, sale and use of high-decibel, joint or series crackers are banned. Firecrackers can be sold only by licensed traders, while online sales are completely prohibited. Bursting crackers is banned near hospitals, schools, courts, religious places, markets, narrow lanes, public roads, petrol pumps, and the airport. Sky lanterns are also banned.

The restrictions will remain in force across Ahmedabad from December 24 to January 2, and violators will face action under the law, police said. DeshGujarat