Paradip, Oct. 24: Police have busted an illegal firecracker-manufacturing unit and arrested four persons at Erasama in Jagatsinghpur district.

With Diwali fast approaching, the manufacture of palm-leaf firecrackers is on in full swing in the Erasama and Balikuda areas.

These are continuing without the consent of the authorities concerned.

On November 5 last year, a 45-year-old woman and her 18-year-old daughter were killed in an explosion while working in an illegal firecracker manufacturing unit at Kanti village in Balikuda police station limits.

Several villages in Balikuda and Erasama police station areas are known for firecracker manufacturing and supply explosives that are used for blasting stone quarries.

Most of these units allegedly run without the mandatory permits and fire safety certificates.

"The district administration has issued directives to all its officers to identify illegal firecracker-making units operating in the district. The block development officers have been asked to inspect and stop the operation of clandestine firecracker units," said Jagatsinghpur collector Yamini Sarangi.

"We arrested four persons and seized around 200 cartons of illegal firecrackers from their possession in Gada village. The consignment of seized firecrackers is valued at over Rs 8 lakh. The unit did not have a mandatory licence. Chemicals and powders that were explosive in nature have been recovered from the unit. The samples have been sent for scientific tests," said inspector of Erasama police station Bichitranand Sethy, adding that the four, who were arrested under 9-B of the Indian Explosive Act, have been forwarded to court.

In order to escape the police, these units work surreptitiously and do not follow safety norms and put at risk the lives of those working there. Such illegal units thrive in various parts of Jagatsinghpur district. All police stations across the districts have been directed to launch a crackdown on illegal cracker units. Legal action would be taken against those found guilty. The police intend to book the offenders as unlicensed crackers units defy safety norms and this often leads to accidents and loss of lives, said Paradip additional superintendent of police Gadadhar Pradhani.