KOCHI: The festival season in Kerala normally starts in November with the Sabarimala Mandala-Makaravilakku season. But major temple festivals begin around two months later, in January, and extend till May. Elephant parade, percussion ensemble, and fireworks display form the major attractions at temple festivals where lakhs gather to witness the grand festivities that showcase the state’s culture and heritage.
Exploring the reasons for the recurring tragedies during festivities, experts say, the time of the festival plays a key role. All major festivals happen during the peak of summer and the temperature that often touches 40°C. Organisers have to ensure a safe distance between the storage facility and the ground where the fireworks display takes place. Besides, there should be barricades to ensure a safe distance from the place of display and the viewers.
Hot weather and unsafe handling of explosives are the main reasons for such incidents, said R Venugopal, a former joint chief controller of explosives with the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organisation. “The incident that happened on Tuesday is a replica of what happened in Thrissur on May 4, 2006, when seven people died and 14 were injured. The manufacturing and drying platform should be 12m wide, with only four persons. It seems the place where the crackers were being made was overcrowded,” he said.
V K Venkitachalam, who has been campaigning against torture of elephants and unsafe fireworks display, said he had submitted multiple petitions to the district collector in the past one month, cautioning about the violation of guidelines. “The apathy of officials and politicians is a major reason for such tragedies,” he said.