Cracker manufacturers flout guidelines, yet again

Yet another accident due to improper storage of crackers has exposed that guidelines of the administration are being flouted openly. The latest incident in Field Ganj has brought to the fore the cracker manufacturers8217; ignorance and carelessness and also the laxity of department in allowing them to make godowns in congested areas.

As per the guidelines of district administration, crackers or any type of explosives cannot be stored in residential areas. The godowns should be well ventilated and away from the city, in open areas. However the guidelines are never adhered to. Even last year, a similar incident had taken place in the same locality, in which three of a family had received serious burn injuries. The other popular areas being used for godowns for crackers are Sunder Nagar, Salem Tabri and Chauni Mohalla. In Salem Tabri, which is a highly congested area, residents manufacture crackers at their homes. Another incident had happened in Salem Tabri last october, when a massive explosion had occurred causing one person8217;s death.

Last year, employees of the sales tax department had gone for routine checking of crackers in two godowns located in the Sunder Nagar locality, but had stopped the operation midway as they found it difficult to breath inside the poorly ventilated godowns. The operation, which normally takes a few hours, was stretched over two days.

This time too, barely 15 days are left for the Diwali festival, but the authorities seem least concerned about the usual and recurring problems.