THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the much-anticipated festival of lights, Diwali, just a day away, temporary firecracker stalls have sprouted in every nook and corner of the city. A plethora of new fireworks models have entered the market, traders say. The Christmas tree model, peacock feather model, and Niagara Falls model are someof thenotable ones. There are also fountain models in the shapes of lion, duck, butterfly and rabbit.
“Though there is an influx of new fireworks models in the market, customers continue to embrace the traditional models,” says Jinju S F, the owner of Devi Fireworks in Puzhikunnu. Sparklers, colourful matches, and ground spinners are the go-to firecrackers for most Malayalis.
According to traders, the noticeable trend this year is the departure from noisy items. Instead, the preference is for colourful and eco-friendly fireworks. However, unlike yesteryears, business is yet to pick up. While some traders cite the rain as the likely damper, others point to a recent court order that restricted bursting of firecrackers at odd hours.
“This is the time of the year when we do a large share of the annual business. Unfortunately, demand is low, and it looks like it’s going to be one of the worst years in terms of business. Rain has played spoilsport, and recent court orders have also adversely impacted business,” says Sudhakar M B, a trader.
Even then, many are hopeful that the weekend will see more business. “The sales have been slow of late, but I don’t think it is because of the court order. Sales are expected to pick up over the weekend. I hope rain doesn’t affect them,” Jinju adds.
The surge in prices of firecrackers, too, has deterred many customers from splurging, traders say. According to Shameem B M, who has been running a firecracker shop at Puzhikunnu for the past eight years, the price of firecrackers is increasing year by year. “This hike in prices is largely driven by the rising costs of chemicals. Transportation expenses are also high. But nowadays, the price of almost everything is on the rise, right? So it likely won’t be a problem,” Shameem says, adding, “Eco-friendly fireworks are costlier than traditional models. This is also another reason for the surge in prices.”
“The price range differs based on the quality of the product. There are boxes that start at Rs 20 and go up to Rs 1,000. A combo package, offering an assortment of fireworks and starting at Rs 500, would usually suffice for a family celebration,” adds Shameem. Despite a fledgling fireworks cottage industry in Puzhikunnu, a small village near Parassala, and Nanniyode, most of the fireworks come from Tamil Nadu.
“We source crackers from Sivakasi. Recently, the Tamil Nadu government banned many raw materials used in firecrackers. This time, only ‘green’ crackers are allowed in the market. ‘Green’ crackers are less colourful,” says Santhosh Kumar T, another trader.
Only a day remains for the big festival. While it is necessary to be mindful of how firecrackers affect the environment, it is also imperative that we cherish our culture and celebrate the festival that denotes good’s triumphant victory over evil. So light up that candle, burst a cracker, and enjoy responsibly!