Nabapatana village in Jagatsinghpur. Telegraph picture

Paradip, Oct. 24: Residents of Nabapatana village in Jagatsinghpur, who were rattled by a fire mishap seven years ago, celebrate Diwali as a festival of lights, not sounds.

On the day of Diwali every year, Nabapatana residents observe the ceremonial rites such as paying obeisance to ancestors and lighting earthen lamps. But burning of firecrackers during Diwali has been stopped since the past seven years.

The village had once been a major firecracker manufacturing centre. However, the mishap, which killed a trader and injured several others, still continues to haunt them.

People have forced to break with tradition after the tragedy that befell the village on October 19, 2004. Earthen lamps and candles adorn the doorsteps of households as part of Diwali rituals. But there is no ear-splitting noise of crackers bursting here.

“It all changed seven years ago. Two days were left for Diwali. The local cracker manufacturers were about to leave for Paradip with the produce for their annual trade.

“The boxes of crackers suddenly caught fire, triggering a blast. The sound was deafening.

“Before anybody could understand what had happened, several villagers were badly wounded and lying in a pool of blood. One of the traders, Purnananda Sahu, succumbed to his injuries while 20 more villagers sustained severe burns,” said Raj Kishore Behera, a zilla parishad member, who was an eyewitness to the mishap.

The incident sent shockwaves through the entire community. The village committee had resolved to stop the tradition of bursting firecrackers. Since then, firecrackers have not been burned here.

Some of the local residents were experts at making palm-leaf crackers and other types of firecrackers.

The locally made fireworks fetched them good seasonal income. But in the aftermath of the tragedy, manufacturing of firecrackers was prohibited in the village.

The artisans gave up the hazardous profession forever, Behera added.

“The fire tragedy forced us to give up manufacturing firecrackers. It was seasonal business. We listened to the opinion of a majority of the village members and stopped the trade.

“After all, our main profession is agriculture. About 50 firecracker traders and manufacturers are not involved in the hazardous occupation anymore. They are now happy with their income from farming activities,” said Haribandhu Behera, a local resident.

“Everything is fine now. People here have got accustomed to a noiseless Diwali,” he said.