VIRUDHUNAGAR: The Federation of Tamil Nadu Fireworks Traders on Tuesday claimed that the revenue from the sale of firecrackers dropped 40% last year, primarily due to the alleged rise in online sales of crackers, despite a Supreme Court ban on the same. The federation also said the illegal import of Chinese firecrackers, allegedly going on for five years, has led to a 20-30% drop in domestic production.
Speaking to reporters in Sivakasi, president of the federation V Raja Chandrasekar warned legal action against those engaged in the unauthorised sale of firecrackers online. "Last year, the firecracker business in the state faced a loss of Rs 400-500 crore, while nationwide losses due to the online sales were estimated to be up to Rs 1,000 crore. States such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka were among the worst affected," he said.
With only three months remaining for the Deepavali season, Chandrasekar urged the state government to issue licenses for permanent firecracker outlets immediately. He stressed the need to issue temporary shop licenses at least 30 days prior to the festival, allowing for 15 days of sales. "The current practice of last-minute approvals is causing serious challenges for traders in stocking and sales," he added.
Further, he appealed to the government to extend the validity of no-objection certificates (NOCs) obtained from the fire department from one year to five years for permanent cracker shops to "ease the regulatory burden on traders".
Citing a recent incident in Mumbai, where 10 containers of Chinese firecrackers were seized, the association urged the union government to take strict action to prevent such imports and safeguard the domestic fireworks industry.
Blast at cracker unit, none injured
Virudhunagar: A minor explosion occurred at a PESO-licensed firecracker manufacturing unit near Vachakkarapatti on Tuesday. One room of the unit was damaged in the accident, and no injuries or casualties were reported. An investigation is underway.