With firecrackers priced around 50 per cent higher than last year, the sound and sparkle of Diwali may be missing this time, both traders and customers in Jajpur district fear.
The firecrackers have become dearer as the cost of both raw materials and labour increased drastically, said Madhusudan Sahoo, a trader of Jajpur.
“Raw materials like aluminum powder, iron, sulphur, gelatin, barium nitrate, potassium nitrate and palm leaves, integral in making and packing firecrackers, have seen a steep rise in price this year. Thus, the prices of firecrackers too have gone up,” said Jagannath Parida, a cracker maker of Balichandrapur village.
“Moreover, the cracker making units are paying more to the workers who are engaged in making firecrackers,” he added.
The prices of some favourite crackers have increased almost by 50 per cent. A pack of laxmi bomb costs Rs25, as against Rs15 last year. A box of cap roll, popular among kids, comes for Rs35, unlike Rs20 last year. A high decibel rocket this year costs Rs200 as against Rs110 last year.
The high prices kept the shoppers away from the markets. “The business is not encouraging so far. The enthusiasm of people to buy crackers seems to be missing this Diwali,” a small time trader Fakira Jena of Chandikhola said.
“Bursting crackers is a must in Diwali. But, as prices have increased, I would buy fewer crackers,” said Ashok Mohanty, a college student of Jajpur.
Environmentalists engaged in an anti-cracker campaign are rather happy with this trend. “The crackers cause a lot of pollution, both air and sound. The chemicals in these crackers cause irritation of respiratory tract, skin and eyes. Crackers can also lead to damage of kidney and mental impairment. At least rise in prices of crackers will deter people from buying and burning these harmful substances in the name of celebration,” said Sudhanshu Parida, secretary of the district unit of Peoples for Animal (PFA).