Coimbatore fire hits micro cord supply, halts 50% of Sivakasi firecracker production in Tamil Nadu
COIMBATORE: A fire accident that occurred a month ago in the district has significantly affected the multi-crore firecracker manufacturing business in Sivakasi. Although firecrackers are produced in Sivakasi and supplied nationwide, the essential micro cord fuse wire used in these firecrackers are supplied by a firm based in Coimbatore.
Firecracker manufacturers in Sivakasi said that the fire accident disrupted the supply of micro cord fuse wires, which severely affected firecracker production. Approximately 50% of firecracker production, particularly the fancy and multi-shot varieties that rely on micro cord fuses, has been halted. Representatives from the pyrotechnics industries said that many manufacturers have reduced their output and some have stopped operations. The private explosive firm located at Puliyamarathupallam near Senjeri on the outskirts of Coimbatore city, is one of the leading suppliers of micro cords for the firecracker manufacturing industry in Sivakasi.
A Souriraj, who runs a pyrotechnics unit in Sivakasi, said, "Many manufacturers have been using these micro cord fuse wires for the past few years due to their durability and safety. However, the recent fire accident at the supply unit has created a significant demand crisis."
V Raja Chandrasekaran, President of the Federation of Tamil Nadu Fireworks Traders (FTFT) said, "There are 1,100 firecracker manufacturers in Virudhunagar district. Out of these, over 600 units produce aerial shots, multi-shots (sky shots), and fancy crackers, all of which require micro cord fuse wires, locally referred to as 'Machine Thiri.' Due to supply shortage, production has been nearly shut down for over a month. Some manufacturers who have outstanding orders are sourcing fuse wires from the black market at exorbitant rates, which will reflect in the product's cost. We expect the issue to be resolved by the end of this month," Chandrasekaran said.
G Vinayagamoorthi, President of the Small Cracker Manufacturers Association in Sivakasi, told TNIE that micro cord supplies have been on the decline since January 2023, causing prices to rise significantly. "After the fire accident in Coimbatore, the entire supply chain was interrupted, causing costs to jump from Rs 47,000 to Rs 80,000 per box. Since approximately 50% of firecrackers produced have transitioned to using micro cord fuses, the government should ease manufacturing restrictions. Limiting production to a few manufacturers will keep demand high, doubling it during incidents like this. Some of us have reverted to using normal fuses to manage production costs and supply demands," Vinayagamoorthi said.
Sources from the firm damaged in the accident said production has resumed a few days ago. They have also begun supplying micro cords again. When supply was interrupted, we supplied the fuses from our headquarters in Nagpur, they added.