Crackers set to cost a bomb, yet traders pin hopes on Diwali sale

Hyderabad: With Diwali around the corner, cracker traders, to meet the demand, have started their preparations to set up temporary stalls across the city with the permission of the police and civic body. Traders report that the demand for crackers has gone up substantially, paving the way for a 10-15 per cent increase in prices. They are pinning hopes on higher sales.

Crackers are on display at temporary stalls in every nook and cranny of the city, especially in Begum Bazar. Traders say a plethora of new fireworks models are on the market. They are waiting for sales.

About 1,500 temporary stalls are set up each year. With a few days left for Diwali, people are seen thronging these stores. In fact, dealers are selling more synthetic crackers than green variety. Boxes of crackers don’t mention they are green crackers.

Sanjay Kumar, the owner of Shanti Fireworks, said that he has been in the business for the past 150 years in Begum Bazaar. He said for the last few years, there has been a decline in cracker sales. Earlier, there used to be a km queue in front of his shop. Now, around 100-150 people come to buy crackers a day.

Traders said that rising prices of essential commodities had badly hit the cracker business. Not only the poor but also the middle- class are hesitating to spend money on crackers.

According to observers, even after spending Rs 3,000, people are not able to get a good number of crackers as prices increase every year. However, the citizens say there is no control over the prices of crackers.

The GHMC and the police have made elaborate arrangements to avoid any untoward incident at the makeshift markets. The corporation has issued strict dos and don’ts for those taking temporary permits for setting up cracker stalls and asked the traders to obtain licenses and directed that without a license, they won’t be allowed to set up shops during the festival.

The GHMC has mandated some aspects like maintaining distance from one another, provision of water, wooden stands, use of fire-resistant material and extinguishers, 24x7 watch and ward staff, and getting all electrical connections duly certified by a competent inspector.

If any untoward incident happens in the stall, it will be clearly mentioned in the temporary trade license certificate that the stall holder is responsible and liable for legal action. It is advised to strictly follow the order issued by the State Pollution Control Board.

The Disaster Response and Fire Department has made elaborate arrangements to prevent fire accidents and ensure a safe Diwali. The department is geared up to meet Diwali-related emergency calls and has put its entire staff on alert across the State.