ELURU: Several unauthorised cracker manufacturing units have sprung up in West Godavari throwing caution and safety guidelines to the wind. To mint money and make instant profits, owners employ unskilled labourers who work for a pittance. Farm hands who have been out of work turn to such units to make ends meet.
Though officials have been warned time and again about the consequences of turning a blind eye to illegal cracker manufacturing units, little has been done to check the spurt and production continues unabated. Nineteen 19 units have licenses to manufacture crackers in the district, but the number of illegal units is thrice the number or perhaps even more.
Agriculture labourers, children between 14 and 16 years are being engaged in the illegal production of crackers in the district. As these are not skilled persons, a small mistake can lead to several deaths. During the last six years, around 23 persons lost their lives in the cracker explosion incidents in the district.
The illegal units are mainly in Tanuku, Peravali, Undrajavaram and Ungutur, Tadepalligudem and Eluru areas in the district. The illegal manufacturers purchase raw materials from Rajahmahendravaram and Kakinada and dump them in residential areas.