With just a few days to go for the festival of lights, the sale of firecrackers has become rampant across the city. However, the district administration has issued guidelines regarding the sale of crackers and only five places in the city have been demarcated this year to sell crackers.
According to the guidelines issued by the district administration, crackers will be sold in these temporary makeshifts shops at five places in the city that include Zila school Ground, Jaipal Singh Stadium, Harmu Ground, Shaheed Ground and Morabadi Maidan.
Citing details about the temporary arrangements for the vendors and guideline, DC Ranchi, Manoj Kumar said, “We have the list of all the major wholesalers and our teams are constantly inspecting the temporary licence holders who are selling crackers in the prescribed area. Two teams are involved in inspections. Disaster management and arms magistrate will continue the drive in the coming days too. So far we have collected 411 temporary licenses.”
For the first time in the State capital sale of crackers has been banned in residential areas, streets and footpaths. Now residents have to buy crackers from the five specified areas demarcated by the district administration. Sale of crackers at major areas along roadside increases the problem of encroachment besides leading to fire fear.
“We are also constantly keeping a tab on the vulnerable areas of MG Road and Upper Bazar, where sale of crackers on the roadside was a common scene till last year. Moreover, in few interior areas, we have been constantly checking the specific locations that the norms are being followed or not. If crackers are found scattered outside the shops on the roadside, strict action under Arms Act will be taken,” the DC added.
On the other hand blatant violation of safety regulations by cracker vendors in the city was witnessed, till Saturday no vendors have acquired the demarcated places. No crackers sellers were found at Morabadi Ground, Zila school ground. Few vendors at Jaipal Singh Stadium was seen but were not aware of the basic rules and guidelines. Minor precautions like keeping a fire extinguisher, sandbags, enough water storage and all these were hardly visible at the ground.
“Though we are following the guideline of the district administration but we are not satisfied with the concept. I have lost all my loyal customers and now I am hoping that I least get ten percent return of the items which I have bought,” informed Madan Prasad, a cracker seller at Jaipal Singh Stadium.