Firecrackers are being sold in congested markets here with blatant disregard for safety, but the authorities don’t seem much troubled by the prospect of an inferno in the run-up to Diwali Wednesday.
Patrolling cops and standby fire tenders at zilla parishad grounds — one of the largest designated cracker marts in the coal town — are conspicuous by their absence. Also, at least half a dozen unauthorised vendors are selling a wide range of high-decibel and high-emission wares along NH-32, right in front of Police Lines.
The situation near Vivekanand Chowk and Hirapur Hatia, considered two of the densely populated areas, is no different. Cracker stalls have illegally mushroomed in every nook and, a Supreme Court order notwithstanding, are stocked with ear-splitting provisions such as hydro bomb and chocolate bomb.
Amit Sarkar, a retired private company employee and an old-timer of Hirapur, said the open sale of high-decibel crackers in congested areas was concerning. “The noise and smoke are detrimental to health, especially for those with heart and lung conditions. The authorities should carry out raids on stalls selling banned crackers,” he said.
On zilla parishad grounds, where 11 licensed cracker shops have been set up, no fire tender was seen on standby.
Ashok Sharma, owner of Sharma Fireworks, said vendors made their own arrangements like fire extinguishers and sand buckets. “However, it is also the responsibility of the district administration to enforce fire safety. We haven’t see a single fire tender in recent days,” he added.
Eleven places have been designated for selling crackers. These include DAV School Ground in Purana Bazaar, Fire Brigade Ground in Baniahir and Jharia Bazaar Samiti Ground, besides zilla parishad grounds. But, in the absence of regular monitoring, vendors in these places are not adhering to the green cracker directive from Supreme Court.
District fire officer Shailendra Kishor said, “According to rules, cracker sellers should make their own arrangements to battle blaze. But, one fire tender is usually deployed at Purana Bazaar every year. We are waiting for an order from the district administration.”
On sale of firecrackers in unauthorised and highly congested areas, SSP Manoj Ratan Chothe said they were acting on complaints. “I shall ask OCs to check if safety protocol is being violated,” he said.