KOCHI: Puttingal temple tragedy has got the City Police to go on the action mode against illegal stocking of crackers and explosives. Police Commissioner M P Dinesh told ‘Express’ that a directive has been issued to sniff out whether any kind of illegal stockpiling of fireworks is happening in the city. “The police will check the license of the firework manufacturing units and godowns,” he added.
A few years back two persons were killed when a house at Maradu, which had been converted into an unauthorised fireworks manufacturing unit in connection with a temple festival, got destroyed in an explosion. Also, three had died and around 60 injured in the same place in 2008.
What’s Happening at Paravoor?
Meanwhile, police on Sunday raided the residence and godown of Kazhakootam Surendran at Kazhakootam and Attingal respectively. They unearthed 150 kilograms of crackers kept in several sacks. The sacks contained the banned variety of cracker commonly known as ‘Gundu’.
The raid comes in the back drop of Puttingal temple tragedy. Kazhakootam and Attingal police have registered a case.
Licence in Son’s Name
The licence of the godown is in the name of Umesh Kumar, son of Kazhakoottam Surendran. Surendran’s condition continues to be critical and he is undergoing treatment at Medical College Hospital while Umesh has been admitted to a private hospital. Police raided the cracker manufacturing unit at Attingal and seized huge quantities of crackers. The police have registered a case against Umesh for illegally possessing such huge quantity of crackers.
According to police, the license for the manufacturing unit and the heavy crackers are in Umesh’s name while that of the small crackers is in Surendran’s daughter Shailaja’s name.
The police also raided the unit of an another firework manufacturer at Kazhakootam. He has been identified as Vamadevan.
Raids Continuing
Speaking to ‘Express’, City Police Commissioner G Sparjan Kumar said that raids are on with the information being received on such stockpiles at regular intervals. “So far, we have raided the godown of Surendran and seized huge quantities of crackers. It is learnt that their license regarding possession of such crackers had expired on March 31. Hence, we need to check whether they had renewed the license or not. If not, strict action will be taken against the license owner. Similarly, raids are still on at various places,” Kumar said.
Banned Crackers Still in Circulation
A High Court directive had banned ‘Gundu’ and dynamites in the state in 2003. But a nexus of the temple authorities and fireworks manufacturers have been engaged in shady deals totally blind-siding the order. The police also said that possibility that Potassium Nitrate had been added to the cracker to produce more sound can’t be ruled out. Meanwhile, District Collector Biju Prabhakar also directed four cracker manufacturers and the license owners in the district to furnish the details of their stocks and told them to produce the details before the District Administration. Two control rooms have been opened in the district and strict actions will be taken against violators, Prabhakar said in a statement.
Staff Being Quizzed
Five employees of fireworks contractor Kazhakootam Surendran have been taken into custody by Kazhakotam police for interrogation. According to police, the five are being quizzed for details on the ingredients used in the manufacturing of the crackers at the Attingal unit. Information about other orders placed with the unit too is being gathered.
Breaking Law
The police seize 150 kg of crackers
Sacks contained banned Gundu along with others
As many as eight sacks have been confiscated
Of these, three sacks contained ‘Gundu’ and five sacks contained chain crackers and ‘ola padakkam’
As per the law, fireworks manufacturing licensees were allowed to possess only 15 kg of explosives
Tonnes of crackers were kept in the temple in violation of rules
‘Gundu’ and dynamites are prohibited in the state by the High Court in 2003
In 2009, in another order, the High Court imposed restrictions on the sound level of explosions, high decibel crackers
Possibility of Potassium Nitrate used in the crackers to give more sound and effect
The Explosive Trail
1952 Firecracker explosion occurred at Sabarimala on January 14 killing 68
1978 Eight lost their lives at Thrissur Pooram when a ‘Kuzhiammittu’ blasted into the crowd
1984 Thrissur Kandashamkadavu Church festival, 20 died
1987 Thrissur Vellattanchur-Koottanmooli Temple mishap, 20 dead
1987 A train plows into people sitting on tracks to watch the fireowrk display at Thalassery Jagannath temple. 27 dead
1988 Women employed at a firecracker unit died after the shed catches fire, 10 dead
1989 Tragedy strikes Thrissur Kanndashamkadavu again after a gap of five years, 12 dead
1990 Peruvazhi Temple at Malanada in Kollam , fircraker unit catches fire, 26 dead
1997 Explosion at Cheeyaram firecracker manufacturing unit, 6 dead
1998 Explosion at Kanjikode Ordnance Factory, 13 dead
1999 Firecracker mishap at Aloor in Palakkad, 8 dead
2006 Explosion while stocking fireworks for Thrissur Pooram kills 7
2013 Explosion at Panniyamkurushi fireworks manufacturing unit, 6 dead
Beside these in 54 other fireworks mishaps over 16 people have lost their lives