Raw materials, labour costs increase, licenced cracker units too feel the heat

Apart from these two areas, several indigenous firecracker-manufacturing units are functional in Howrah, Hooghly and Purba Medinipur districts.

“We are not hopeful about financial gains in this festive season. In 2020 and 2021, there was no business due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, we could not even recover the losses of the previous two years. After the Calcutta High Court order, we can only make green crackers which required obtaining a lot of certificates. This year since the blasts at Egra, the state government stopped work at all manufacturing units. Recently, permission (late October) was given to some manufacturers to produce crackers. Therefore, there is very little hope that we will see profit this year,” said Sukdeb Naskar, secretary of Pradesh Atashbazi Byabsayi Samiti told the newspaper.

The Indian Express recently visited the Nungi wholesale market in South 24 Parganas districts to talk to firecracker manufactures and sellers. However, only three manufactures in the Nungi area have obtained licence from the district administration to make firecrackers but most of them were unwilling to talk to the newspapers.

The shadow of Egra and Duttapukur blasts loomed large in the wholesale market as shops selling crackers refused to speak. “We do not know anything. If you want to buy crackers then you are free to stay here. If you have other queries, please leave,” said the owner of one of the shops.

At Nungi, there are shops lined up on both sides of Daulatpur road which sells fireworks made in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu and some from local manufacturers.

In Putkhali village, The Indian Express visited the firecracker-making factory of Sukdeb Naskar who is among the three to have obtained the licence.

At his factory in Nungi, green crackers such as sparklers, flower pots, ground spinners and flashlight crackers are made.
He employs 30 workers from the locality with a few coming from Purba Medinipur districts. Inside his firecracker-making factory, workers were seen busy making green crackers.

According to Naskar, more than 1.5 lakh people in West Bengal are associated with this industry. There are manufacturers, labourers who make the firecrackers, distributors and sellers.

At Nungi in Maheshtala, about 16 thousand people are associated with the industry while about 20 to 25 thousand people are engaged in Champahati area. When it comes to the entire South 24 Parganas district, more than 60 thousand leople are associated with the industry.
“There were around 80 unregistered firecracker manufacturing units in Nungi. But as a large number of them failed to get a certificate from NEERI in Nagpur, we cannot consider them as registered manufacturing units. At present, only three such units in Nungi have received necessary certificates and licence from the administration to produce green firecrackers and sell them. About 15 other applicants from here will get their licence in the next few days as their applications are being processed,” said Naskar who is one of the three licenced firecracker manufacturers in the Nungi area.

“Overall there is a 30 per cent increase in the production cost. Naturally, the selling cost of the firecrackers will also increase. Plus the labour cost has also increased. As a very few units have been given permission to produce firecrackers, there is a hope that all our crackers will be sold in the market,” added Naskar.

Licensed firecrackers sellers buy different types of crackers from these wholesale market and sell them at different places including the Maidan Bazi Market which is organised in the hub of the city.

At Champahati, around 13 such units have received NEERI certificate some of them got manufacturing licences from the district administration. “We are happy that local shops are being allowed to sell firecrackers. Firecrackers from Sivakasi and some from local manufacturers are being sold. It is hard to say whether we will see profit as the manufacturing was suspended following the blasts and production was hampered,” said Arjun Mondal, member of the Champahati fireworks traders’ body.

In 2022, the Calcutta High Court in an order allowed manufacturing and selling of only green firecrackers in the state. Since then there has been a rush from firecracker manufacturing units to obtain proper certificates and licences from the administration.

The necessary licenses needed for operating a green cracker manufacturing unit are certificate issued from CSIR-NEERI, license from the Fire department, license from Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO)/District Magistrate Office as the case may be and consent to operate from Pollution Control Board (PCB).

According to the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in Nagpur, which provides green cracker certificates to manufacturers, green fireworks have a reduced shell and are made of fewer raw materials and additives. Such fireworks must not contain highly toxic materials like lithium, barium, lead and arsenic. The aim is to reduce the emission of toxic gases, especially highly polluting particulate matter and cut sound pollution.

According to Chairman of Sara Bangla Atas Baji Unnayan Samity (All Bengal Fireworks Makers and Sellers Organisation) Babla Roy, about 42 local fireworks manufacturing units across West Bengal were given licence to produce green firecrackers while 2000 were given selling licence.

“This year, manufacturing licences were issued to 42 units. On the other hand, a total 2000 selling licences were issued to those who would only be able to sell the firecrackers. About 10,000 temporary selling licenses were issued to those who would set up shops at fairs. In West Bengal, total 170 small and medium firecrackers fairs were organised. About 40 per cent crackers are from Sivakasi while another 40 per cent are from local manufacturers. Rest 20 per cent are from other states,” Roy told the newspaper when asked to comment on the number of licences issued to manufacturers.

Meanwhile, after a gap of three years, Kolkata Bazi Bazaar, which is the largest firecrackers market in the state, returned to Maidan. Organised by the Burrabazar Fireworks Dealers’ Association in collaboration with the Sara Bangla Atas Baji Unnayan Samity, traders at the fair are selling only green crackers. There are 32 stalls at the fair, selling only green crackers that are certified by NEERI. The fair which started on October 31, will continue till November 15.

However, as licences were given to only a handful of local manufacturers following the major blasts, 90 per cent of the fireworks which are being sold at the fair are from Sivakasi.

“The response from the buyers is reasonably good given the fact that the fair is being held after a gap of three years. As most of the local manufacturers did not get licence, they could not send their products to the fair. About 90 per cent of the total fireworks are from Sivakasi while the rest are from 5 to 6 local manufacturers who obtained the licence. As more manufacturers are on their way to get the licence in the coming months, we hope that next year about 50 per cent of the total fireworks will be from local manufacturers,” said Santanu Dutta, joint secretary of Burrabazar Fireworks Dealers’ Association.