Setting a 100 kg limit for the nearly 1,100 fireworks retailers this Diwali season, the district administration has stated that the 20-day licences will only be issued to those adhering to safety norms.
Some 1,114 applications have been received for the temporary cracker outlets this year. The retailers will be required to erect tin sheds, make arrangements to pre-empt short circuits, and ensure fire safety measures before the completion of the licensing process.
All fireworks outlets are required to maintain a three-metre distance from other outlets and ensure fire safety arrangements, such as extinguishers or sand buckets, in their stores. The administration has also banned any hanging wires, lights, and fixtures in these locations and advised retailers to attach lights only to the ceilings or walls of their makeshift structures.
The administration has set a 100 kg limit for temporary retail outlets in the city; 20 outlets on Berasia Road will be given 500 kg licences.
There are an additional 20 fireworks wholesalers in the district, whose licences are renewed annually. Fifteen of these operate from Halalpura, while Karond, Hoshangabad Road, and Berasia Road account for one each. Two of these wholesalers are also located in the village of Berasia on the outskirts of the state capital.