BHOPAL: Had the authorities in Madhya Pradesh acted ahead of Deepawali, based on the findings of a 2023 research on ‘Vision-threatening ocular injury secondary to calcium carbide gun use in Indian children and young adults,’ the major health catastrophe caused by the low-priced guns might have been averted.
The 2023 research findings were based on case studies of five young males in southwestern MP’s Khargone district, who reported carbide gun-induced ocular injuries.
While two of the males were from rural areas, three others were from urban localities, who bought the carbide guns due to their low cost compared to other firecrackers. One of the males even made the gun at home, following freely available online videos.
The guns worked as expected initially, but then malfunctioned, prompting users to peep inside to view the sparking - either through the front opening of the barrel or by opening the carbide loading valve door at the rear. Accidentally, the acetylene gas in the barrel ignited, causing a blast and spraying residual calcium hydroxide, which resulted in ocular injury.
All patients suffered monocular injuries, including eyelid edema, conjunctival congestion, corneal opacification, and limbal ischemia, with vision loss ranging from 6/36 to no light perception. Improper handling, easy availability, low cost, and lack of awareness of risks contributed to the incident.
The study, conducted by researchers from the National Institute for Research in Environment and ICMR National Institute for Research in Environment in 2023, recommended generating public awareness and imposing restrictions on the unlicensed sale of carbide guns and raw materials.
A senior police official in Madhya Pradesh admitted that authorities failed to anticipate the risk. “The carbide guns aren’t new; they were largely used by farmers to scare monkeys and by firecracker professionals in marriages, particularly in rural areas. However, owing to their low price—Rs 100–150 per gun—and easy making via online videos, people were attracted to them this Deepawali.”
“The farmers and firecracker professionals using the guns for many years are well versed in handling them, including not peeping into the guns when there is a delay in fire. But this didn’t happen with teenagers and children, who bought or made them following online content, which actually caused the catastrophe,” the official added.
