Cracker cottage industry in limbo months after blasts killed 21 in two Bengal villages

Nearly 185 kilometres from Egra, the scars and memories of another blast that took place in another illegal firecracker manufacturing unit at Dattapukur in North 24 Parganas district on August 27 are still fresh in the minds of local residents. Parts of the collapsed houses, firecracker powder, tapes, and other material can still be seen scattered all around. The doors of houses and windows are still broken. Nine people were killed in the explosion.

Sakila Bibi (42), whose small pakka house had its ceiling blown off in the explosion, has been staying in a house at the mercy of her neighbour. At a time when Diwali and Kali Puja are around the corner besides the ongoing Cricket World Cup, the rural firecracker-manufacturing industry is in the doldrums as fear, politics, and joblessness plague Egra and Duttapukur. This, otherwise, could have been the peak season for fireworks sales because of the upcoming Kali Puja and Diwali.

‘We were misled it was legal unit’

At Egra’s Khadikul village, nearly 175 km from the state capital Kolkata, people still find it hard to grapple with the May 16 blast. Gouranga says, “We were misled into believing that it was a legal firecracker-making factory. They claimed to have all the permissions to run the factory. My son went to work there to earn Rs 250 per day. He had been working there for a few months. On that day, a loud bang was heard. When we reached the factory site, nothing was left.”

Among those who died in the explosion was Krishnapada Bag, alias Bhanu Bag, a former panchayat member of the Trinamool Congress who owned the illegal factory. With the Odisha border being adjacent to the blast site, Bhanu fled to the neighbouring state and died a few days later while being treated at a hospital there.

Three persons, including Bag’s wife Geeta, were arrested by the police in this connection. In the wake of the blast, the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government provided Rs 2 lakh compensation each to the families of the victims and a job to one member.

To reign in on illegal firecracker-making factories, the state government suspended firecracker manufacturing in the entire state. Later, only green firecracker-making factories having proper licenses were given permission to make fireworks. In Egra and adjoining areas, however, no permission was given even to those making firecrackers legally.

In the same village, Bishnupriya Maity (58), whose daughter-in-law Pinki Maity (25) was one of the victims, broke down when Express visited her house. “She had been working there for one year, but she did not know it was an illegal factory. We no longer want to see a firecracker-making factory in our village — be it legal or illegal. We can never allow anyone from my family to work in a factory like that ever again,” the elderly woman said.

Pinki was among the two villagers who succumbed to their injuries a few days later at SSKM Hospital in Kolkata. “She was able to speak despite suffering burn injuries,” she added.

The blast site still has the marks of a massive explosion. Damaged rooms and iron structures, walls with cracks, and debris are some of the things that were found inside the illegal factory. Since the probe at the blast site by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) is over, it has not been cordoned off anymore. As the factory was on farmland, damages to neighbouring houses were less.

“The windowpanes of our house were broken after the blast occurred. We ran to the site only to see the factory engulfed in fire and smoke billowing from it. Even if we need jobs we don’t have the guts to work in a firecracker-making factory again,” said Umarani Bag (28) who lost her sister-in-law Madhabi Bag in the blast.

Legal factories also bear the brunt

The consequences of the blast were also felt in neighbouring areas as those who used to make firecrackers legally also bore the burnt. Bipul Das, who used to make firecrackers in the Patashpur area, now sits jobless.

“My savings are gone as the administration suspended firecracker-manufacturing factories here. I used to make Rs 1.5-2 lakh every year. My elder son Rinku had to migrate to Pune in Maharashtra to work as a labourer to sustain the family. My younger son who was studying in Kolkata, returned to study in Contai (Purba Medinipur district) due to lack of money. Unless the administration grants us permission again, I will be forced to sit on the road with my family,” said Das.

On the plight of the local firecracker makers in the area, Tarun Maity, TMC MLA from Egra, said, “We understand that they are running into losses. The state government announced that green firecracker manufacturing hubs will be created in each district to help these people. An area has been identified for the purpose in Purba Medinipur but it will take some time to make it functional. But due to safety reasons, permission for the manufacturing of firecrackers has not been given. But we will definitely look into their plight and help them.”

At Duttapukur, Sakila Bibi recalls, “We were fortunate that we survived. I was busy doing some household chores when there was an explosion all of a sudden. In a fraction of a second, there were body parts scattered all around. I also felt unconscious. When I gained consciousness I saw a severed hand outside my gate.”

She couldn’t repair her house due to a financial crunch, and now lives in a room of her neighbour while using the kitchen of another neighbour. A collapsible gate which went off in the blast is yet to be repaired.

Sakila was among dozens of family members who were injured and lost their houses in the blast in the manufacturing unit they have been protesting against for long.

Sanaul Ali (2) was pulled out alive of the rubble on August 27, minutes after the blast. His family thought he was dead since he was not responding. He was rushed to a hospital and revived in an hour.

“Doctors said he was in trauma. He had small injuries on the forehead. I myself was hospitalized and got stitches everywhere all because the police didn’t pay heed to us at that time,” said Sanabuddin Ali, a resident of the area. He had just completed the construction of his house 15 days before the incident. Now his house remains damaged.

‘No compensation from govt yet’

According to sources, none of the families whose houses were damaged received any compensation from the state government. Interestingly, the locals claimed that one of those arrested in connection with the incident, Ramjan Ali, is an active India Secular Front (ISF) leader. State minister Rathin Ghosh had claimed that the local ISF leader was behind the incident.

“He was bringing people from Murshidabad district and making crackers illegally. The ISF won this booth in the panchayat polls. Local ISF leader Ramzan Ali is behind it. We didn’t know this. The police also had no idea,” said minister Ghosh.

Sources claimed that ISF enjoys decent support in Nilganj area in Dattapukur. ISF MLA Naushad Siddiqui, on the other hand, had pointed fingers at the Trinamool Congress for blaming the ISF for the incident. “Whenever something like this happens, the state government points fingers at the Opposition. This time it has blamed us for the incident. This is because the Opposition has a strong presence here,” said Siddiqui.

Mofizul Islam, a resident of the area, says his newly constructed house was also damaged in the incident. “The government provides compensation even to hooch tragedy victims but we didn’t get anything. In fact, we had to repair our house on our own. This is because an ISF leader stays here and holds his party meetings in the area. He has been arrested and is in jail. Ranjan Ali owns a meat shop and is known as a local ISF leader,” said Islam.

Crackers still being sold from homes

Ever since the incident, selling and buying of fireworks has been completely banned in Barasat and Dattapukur areas. Several hundred kilos of firecrackers were also seized in police raids in the last three months. However, despite the close watch of the police, within a kilometre of the spot in the Dattapukur area itself, Express came across many such houses from where firecrackers were being sold in a clandestine manner.

Express visited the house of Alimuddin Ali, who runs a firecracker business in Duttapukur’s Narayanpur area from his house. “After the incident, the police conducted raids and seized several kilos of firecrackers. But since it is a festival month and the Cricket World Cup is also going on, there is a huge demand for firecrackers. That is why people buy crackers from us with the help of local people. We keep it stocked at home,” Alimuddin Ali told Express.

A customer, who had come from Nadia district to buy firecrackers, said, “I came to know that we will get firecrackers here. We need these for the World Cup match. But we found no shop here. Finally, a passerby told us to follow him and brought us here.”

A senior police official said, “More than 12 persons were arrested in the blast case. The incident was unfortunate. Since then every police station in Barasat and North 24 Parganas district has been on an alert. Anyone found selling illegal crackers will be arrested.”