CUTTACK: For long, Padampur and a cluster of villages around it have carried the tag of Odisha’s Sivakasi with pride. This year, they are crestfallen. The State Government’s ban on firecrackers has left the manufacturers in Cuttack district in the lurch.
Firecrackers are manufactured in Padampur and its adjacent villages Trilochanpur, Mahajanpur, Purbakachha, Madhyakachha, Paschimakachha, Paga, Laxminarayanpur, Bahugram, Hatikhana, Champati, Bahadalpatna and Jangapatna in Salepur block.
Around 2,500 people of more than 500 families belonging to both Hindu and Muslim communities in these localities look forward to Diwali as this is the time when their earnings go up substantially. Irrespective of age, caste and gender, they are invested in the business.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they had stopped manufacturing firecrackers since March but stepped up production after the Collector announced that there will be no ban on sale of crackers ahead of Diwali. "Production was completely stopped when lockdown was announced. We stepped up production recently and worked round the clock with the hope of making some money by selling the crackers during Diwali. But all the stock will remain unsold now and we will face huge loss," said Prabhat Mohanty, a firecracker manufacturer of Padampur.
The "sudden" ban has also hit 1,500-odd sellers hard who set up temporary stalls across the district to sell crackers during Diwali. The sale mostly continues till Kartik Purnima. "After Collector Bhabani Shankar Chayani and police gave nod for sale of firecrackers for Diwali, we had applied for permission for setting up stalls and placed orders for firecrackers," said a trader who had applied for permission.
According to Commissionerate Police, seven persons have so far applied for permission for setting up stalls to sell crackers. "After the decision of Special Relief Commissioner, the applications will be returned to the applicants concerned," said ACP Anil Kumar Beuria.