KOCHI: The district administration on Monday denied permission for conducting fireworks display during the three-day festival of Ernakulam Siva temple which started on Tuesday.
District Collector S Suhas denied the permission after the application submitted by the Ernakulam Kshethra Kshema Samiti failed to follow the safety guidelines for conducting the fireworks.
According to the order issued by the district collector, no proper provision has been made to maintain a minimum distance of 100 metres from the fireworks area and the audience. “Since the fireworks area has a petrol pump, hospital, school, flats, a tourist home and several buildings, it is not possible to erect barricades for separating the audience from the fireworks area. Since it is not adhering to the Explosives Rule 2008, the NoC cannot be issued for conducting the fireworks display,” said the collector in an order issued on Monday.
The district collector issued the order based on the inspection carried out by the Fire and Safety Regional fire officer, inspector-general and Kanayannur tahsildar.
The order also stated that the application for the fireworks display should have been submitted to the office three months before the display date. “However, the authorities applied for the same only on December 12 and this resulted in the delay in issuing the permission,” the order reads.
Meanwhile, the district collector issued the order after the samiti approached the Kerala High Court seeking a directive to grant a licence for the fireworks display. In the petition, samiti secretary A Balagopalan stated that though an application was filed, the district collector had not issued any order.