Many firecracker manufacturing units are operating in the Tigiria area of Cuttack district’s Athagarh subdivision without licences.
According to sources, days before every Diwali, the most of villagers of Puruna Tigiria, Baneswarpada and other nearby villages make different kinds of firecrackers without licences and sell them to wholesalers at Cuttack and Bhubaneswar.
It is alleged that cracker making units run in these villages under the very nose of district administration and police officials. They take certain percentage of profits from villagers who do a total of business of `1 crore every year.
Though, people and animals have been killed in mishaps occurred many times in the area, yet Government officials along with villagers cover up such incidents.
Human rights activists like Bijay Rout, Prakash Sethy, Jagdish Behera, lalmohan Singh and Parsuram Bhakta have demanded that the administration stop these cottage industry units and protect lives of people and animals.