A warning from 2023 and a stretched system: Behind the carbide gun injuries that rocked Bhopal on Diwali

Carbide guns have long been used by farmers to scare monkeys, but social media attention to the devices prompted many to try them at home during Diwali.

Senior officials in the administration acknowledged that the “state machinery was stretched thin in the run-up to Diwali, with several Sub-Divisional Magistrates and their teams occupied with government events”.

“There was no campaign undertaken to explain to people that the use of carbide guns was dangerous. This is because of the relatively low number of cases in previous years. We had clamped down on license holders, but did not have enough staff to check small-scale fly-by-night operators. We were caught off guard,” a government source said. “There was a lack of any effort to understand how children were consuming this content on social media and how this could have led to a health crisis. These are all learnings, and we are going to ensure this doesn’t take place in the future.”

On Thursday night, the state government banned the sale, purchase, and storage of carbide pipe guns. SDMs have been instructed to personally visit retail and wholesale firecracker outlets to check for banned items and file FIRs against violators. At least six FIRS have been filed in the Bhopal region. “We have got details of the manufacturers. We are looking into whether safety protocols were followed in the sale and handling of these chemicals,” said a senior police officer.

A prohibitory order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, has been issued, banning carbide guns during Gyaras, New Year celebrations, and wedding functions.

Asked whether the administration was slow to ban the devices, Bhopal Collector Kaushlendra Vikram Singh said, “Such incidents have not come to light in previous Diwalis. We had, on October 9, issued directions and checked for carbide guns with those with licenses to sell firecrackers,” Singh said.

He said the problem was difficult to contain because the guns were not sold through conventional channels. “In this case, people made their own guns by learning from YouTube. Small vendors who sell firecrackers only two-three days before Diwali also sold them. It’s totally scattered – some of them only make two-three guns and leave.”

Singh revealed that raids conducted on October 9 based on intelligence inputs had recovered 55 carbide guns from shops in Anand Nagar, Nishatpura, Chhola, Berasia, and other areas. “They were not sold in prominent places. They were sold in small hamlets,” officials said.

The Collector emphasised the need for public education. “It’s important to educate the people since these devices can be made at home,” he said.

Health officials had been aware of the threat since 2023. A research study conducted by ICMR Bhopal had examined five cases of males from Khargone district who sustained vision-threatening ocular injuries due to carbide guns.

The study had explicitly warned: “Carbide gun-associated ocular injuries in our study occurred due to a lack of awareness of risks, improper handling, and poor design quality/unpredictable functioning of guns. The ease of access of youngsters to cheap, ready-made guns and low-cost raw materials contributed to the risk.”

The researchers had recommended that “public awareness be generated about the potential hazards of carbide gun use” and called for “restrictions on the widespread unlicensed sale of calcium carbide guns and raw materials, at least for children”.

Crucially, the study had noted, “It was observed in our study that online information can contribute to carbide gun use in youth; an in-depth search and analysis of web-based information would be beneficial.”

Deputy Chief Minister Rajendra Shukla said that affected children were being monitored to prevent long-term eye damage and promised strict action against manufacturers and suppliers. “When there were already guidelines in place, illegally selling such equipment, which could cause harm, would be considered a crime. I will speak to the collectors of a couple of districts specifically to find out how it entered the market,” he said.