With illegal fireworks smuggled from China through various ports of the country, the Union Government has urged the Odisha Government to impose ban on importing and marketing of these smuggled items.

As Diwali is approaching fast, the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has urged the State Government to be vigilant over the issue. And the Centre has requested the State Government to impose a total ban on import or marketing of illegal fireworks.

Mostly illegal fireworks are coming through the major ports under false declaration. Mainly ‘Potassium Chlorate’, which is a dangerous and hazardous chemical and can explode spontaneously, is being illegally imported.

The illegal fireworks are being imported through the ports like Mumbai, Kandla, Kolkata, Visakhapatnam and Tuticorin.  All the fireworks are illegally imported in the container cargo.

A senior officer in State Government said fireworks smuggled from foreign origins are mostly done outside the State as there is hardly any major fireworks industry in Odisha.

However, the State Government has all along asked the District Magistrates to keep a vigil on marketing of illegal fireworks in their respective districts. As the DMs are empowered to issue licence to store and market fireworks, the State Government has issued clear-cut orders in this regard.

Though Odisha is having two ports, Paradip and Dhamra, both handle bulk cargo. However last year, the Paradip Port has started a facility of container cargo for seafood export.  

The fireworks trade in Odisha annually hardly makes Rs 25 crore worth business and the State mostly depends on Sivakasi and Raipur for the products.

In coastal Odisha, crackers are mostly manufactured at Padmapur in Cuttack district.

About 3,000 unorganised labourers of more than 600 families belonging to both Hindu and Muslim communities of Padmapur and its adjacent Trilochanpur, Mahajanpur, Purbakachha, Madhyakachha, Campati, Hatikana, Bahadalpatana and Jagannathpatana manufacture crackers to earn their shares of profits. In south Odisha, three places in Ganjam district, Nalabanta, Ankuspur and Balakrushnapur, crackers are produced by several unorganised labourers. Fireworks from these places are supplied to many areas of south Odisha including Kandhamal, Boudh, Gajapati, Rayagada and many parts of Ganjam district.

So far western Odisha is concerned, it mostly depends on the Raipur market, which is cheaper and provides quality products.