15 cracker manufacturing units in Virudhunagar lose licence for violating safety norms

Chennai: Licences of as many as 15 firecracker factories in Virudhunagar district, under which Sivakasi falls, have been cancelled in the past one week for several violations, including excess production owing to Deepavali, close on the heels of over 20 people losing their lives in separate incidents involving fireworks’ units across Tamil Nadu in a month. 

Firecracker units in Sivakasi and adjoining areas, which account for 90 per cent of cracker production in the country, are generally busy from June to October as they race against time to complete orders for a series of festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Ayudha Pooja, and Deepavali. 

Several firecracker manufacturers involve in irregularities during this season and the district administration conducts inspects to check whether these units follow the prescribed rules and regulations.  The Virudhunagar district administration deployed 10 teams consisting of technical and enforcing officers this year, a senior district official said. 

“We have so far cancelled the licence of 15 fireworks’ factories for several violations,” the official told DH. These violations include erecting additional sheds for manufacturing firecrackers and setting up makeshift sheds for storing firecrackers beyond the permissible quantity,” the official told DH.

The official clarified that the inspection and revoke licences of fire factories are not related to a recent explosion in a firecracker manufacturing unit in the district killing 14 people. As many as 1,085 fire cracker units are registered in Virudhunagar district alone of which over 90 per cent are located in and around Sivakasi, 545 km from Chennai.  

“This is a regular drive that is conducted before Deepavali because that is when rules are violated due to the demand for crackers. Of the 10 teams, four are regular ones that conduct inspections and the remaining six are specially to monitor these factories during the festive season,” he added.

He said another set of teams is conducting inspections at over 3,000 retail shops that sell crackers for the festival seasons. “The violations in these shops are usually minor like not displaying boards at the right place, not possessing the required number of fire extinguishers at the shops. We impose a fine or give them a warning,” the official said.  

Another official told DH that every factory is allowed a specific number of sheds – usually only four people are allowed inside a shed with all of them sitting near the doors. “Majority of the 15 fire factories whose licences we cancelled this time are found to have added extra sheds by violating the approved plan,” the official added.

These factories will now have to apply for a fresh licence after complying with the rules and regulations. “That process may take six to seven months,” the first official said. 

The fireworks industry in Sivakasi, which is valued at Rs 6,000 crores, is often accused of throwing safety rules to the wind resulting in loss of lives. The industry, which provides direct and indirect jobs to over 6 lakh people, is also accused of forcing labourers to work under poor conditions. 

The development comes weeks after over 12 people were killed when an explosion ripped through a country cracker unit in Ariyalur district. As many as 14 people were killed when an explosion occurred at a fire factory in Srivilliputhur when labourers were involved in packing firecrackers to be sent across the country.