Sale of firecrackers to go down in Hyderabad

Wholesalers remain wary due to Covid pandemic, ban on crackers

Hyderabad: The hope of a prosperous Diwali for firecracker shop owners in the city might remain a distant dream, with the Covid-19 pandemic and the news of firecrackers being banned in at least five other States already giving nightmares for the cracker dealers in the city.

Fearing that people might not be much interested in bursting firecrackers because of the pandemic, the wholesale dealers have decided to get only limited stock from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, known for manufacturing firecrackers on a large scale. On the other hand, the news of firecrackers being banned in other States citing that pollution from crackers could be bad during the pandemic, too is giving them sleepless nights.

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Wholesale dealers say law enforcement agencies should have come up with restrictions from June before the production of firecrackers began in Sivakasi. The production is still on and stock are already delivered to some wholesalers and ready to be delivered to more ahead of the festival on November 14. However, some retailers are now confused over buying the stock because of the pandemic and the news of the ban in other States, said J Manik Rao of Fireworks Dealers Association of Telangana.

Yet, most retailers in Chandanagar, Kukatpally, Miyapur, Secunderabad and its surrounding areas are making necessary arrangements to sell different varieties of firecrackers in makeshift stalls that are coming up in playgrounds, and marriage and community halls. “We have purchased only 30 percent of the stock from Sivakasi this time anticipating that there will be limited sales,” Rao said.

Allaying fears about bursting firecrackers, he said manufacturers in Sivakasi have made ecofriendly firecrackers by adhering to norms prescribed by the Supreme Court. The IIT Kanpur has also conducted a comprehensive study about bursting firecrackers and confirmed that the emission levels were low as the festival is celebrated for just one day, he said.

“We comply with all safety norms keeping in view the larger interest of the customers and there is no need to panic,” he added.

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