HYDERABAD: The Supreme Court imposed restrictions on the sale and use of firecrackers has not gone down well with several sellers. Many websites have put up disclaimer notices and have already shut down online sales.
Anil Fireworks, one of the top brands of firecrackers in India, says it will suffer losses. Nearly 60-70 per cent of their sales happen online. “Everything is online today-- why not this? We are deeply shattered”, said company representative Vasanth. Their only physical store is in Sivakasi, 15 km outside town, in keeping with health and safety regulations.
“We have little footfall. That’s why we opened an online store.” With a website, they had pan-India reach. This judgment is devastating also for other players like CrackerMart, which is can be likened to a Flipkart for firecrackers. It was stocked with a variety of brands and types. With no physical stores, their sales were entirely dependent on their website which is now down.
Ayyasamy, a business representative of the company, said that they are trying to liquidate their pending stocks in the local market. He is also going to tappeal to the SC, as is Vasanth.
Diverse responses to 2-hour window
The Supreme Court restricting the use of firecrackers to just between 8 pm and 10 pm on Diwali has evoked mixed response among denizens in the city. “I’m very happy about the rule because there is some control over the burning of fire crackers,” said S Nalini, a designer, while hailing the verdict. But, she expressed concerns over “the tradition dying out.”
Arushi Mehta, a college goer, raised doubts over implementation of the verdict. “This is India, nobody is going to pay heed.” Rama Subramaniam, a Tamil Nadu native city said:”The [ruling] ignores the cultural diversity of India. As a Tamilian I celebrate Diwali on the 6th. North Indians will celebrate on the 7th. How can they pass this judgment?”