The enthusiasm over bursting crackers on Deepavali has only gained momentum after two years of low-key celebrations as firecrackers sellers saw brisk business on Sunday.
Outlets selling branded firecrackers as well as smaller shops have been set up across the city including Simmakal, Arasaradi, Koodal Nagar, Tamukkam, Moondrum Avadi saw brisk business on the eve of Deepavali.
R. Logesh Kumar, a second generation cracker seller, who has set up a stall on Kamarajar Salai, said that over 75% of the crackers are green. “By green, it means they do not have the banned chemical – barium nitrate. But the quantity of production has reduced at least by 35% than the previous years due to the overall hike in prices of raw materials,” he said and added that the prices have increased by 30%.
Seconding him, B. Kailasanathan, a firecracker unit owner of 20 years in Sivakasi, said that prices of raw materials such as aluminium powder, potassium nitrate, even fuel and scrap paper have hiked and thereby affected the production cost. “Moreover, producing green crackers costs higher than the banned ones,” he said and added that the labour force has also shrunk as many involved in making noise-making crackers were out of work.
Despite this, Mr Kumar said that the footfall of customers have not dipped, though rains have affected sales a bit.
The new varieties of crackers this year are the ‘reverse chakra,’ that spins in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions unlike the usual ones, five-coloured ‘peacock’ flower pots and drone – a type of cracker that flies to a short height.
Another seller, Y. Manoj said that flower pots priced between ₹200 and ₹1,070, chakras sold for ₹60 to ₹420 and sparklers that cost ₹29 to ₹389 were the top-sellers like every year while children were interested in the plastic toy guns.
“The craze for ‘wala’ crackers has not died down but it is one among the banned crackers. Almost everyone is asking for it, but I have not procured it,” said R. Prabhu, a firecracker seller for nine years in Sivakasi. He added that though the consumer’s spending power has remained the same, the quantity being bought has reduced due to hike in prices of crackers.
“Deepavali is incomplete without bursting crackers. Hence, despite the price rise, the tradition was being upheld,” said G. Pandian, a resident of K.K. Nagar while Mayur Hasija, an animal rights activist said that crackers induce a lot of panic and stress for animals.
“The impact is too much for them to handle and the animals remain stressed long after the festival is over,” he said and called for lighting lamps instead and to abide by bursting crackers only during the permitted time limits.
District Fire Officer S. Vinoth said that regular inspections were being taken up across the city. “Stalls are being checked for stocking banned crackers and for possession of licenses. Further, fire and rescue personnel have been mobilised at important locations and crowded places across the district. Awareness on fire safety is being conducted at crowded places,” he said and added fire engines were stationed at three places on Masi streets.
Published - October 23, 2022 08:09 pm IST
