City traders fear restrictions post Batala cracker unit blast

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, September 5

After the blast in a firecracker manufacturing unit in Batala that claimed 23 lives, local cracker traders fear more restrictions in the forthcoming festive season. They say that the district administration has already started enquiring from those dealing in the cracker trade.

The district houses two Union Government-licenced firecracker manufacturing units and over 30 storages, with each of them having capacity to maintain nearly 1,500-kg stock. The two major units are situated at Ibban Kala village on the Chabal road and Rajewal village on the Amritsar-Jalandhar road. These are allowed to manufacture ‘phuljhadi’ (sparkler) and ‘anaar’ (flower pot). In addition, there are 15 godowns for sale and stock at Rajewal village.

The Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation (PESO), the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, the Ministry of Commerce and Industries allocate licences to those who want to store firecrackers above 600 kg. Below this quantity, the licensing authority is the police commissionerate at the district level.

Harish Dhawan, president, Amritsar Fireworks Licence Holders Dealer Association, said the district administration had initiated inquiries from the stockists and manufacturers after the Batala incident. He said they had been operating their business as per the norms and all stores were situated well beyond human settlements.

Dealers and stockists say strict implementation of norms had curbed the activities of illegal firecracker units. However, any person manufacturing them surreptitiously from their houses can’t be ruled out.

Every year ahead of Diwali, the district authorities invariably remain on the tenterhooks as firecracker traders impress upon the government to provide enough room to set up stalls. The authorities are always on a lookout for a suitable place to establish cracker market.

Earlier, the wholesale cracker markets were situated at IDH Market, near the ISBT, and at the congested Pappar Wala Bazar, near the Golden Temple. The trade had to be shifted to Jahajgarh in 2000 after a massive fire broke out at IDH Market in which material worth crores of rupees perished. Besides, loss of human life was also reported in 1999.

Later, the market at Jahajgarh was also ruled out for holding the firecracker market as it did not comply with the newly devised norms of the Explosive Act as a fuel station was situated nearby. It was declared unfit for a firecracker market as there was no sufficient space between two shops in the area.

As per the norms, there should be certain vacant space between each shop, underground water reservoir and fire-fighting arrangements besides adequate parking space.