As an impact of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, youngsters are opting for soundless, eco-friendly crackers. Manufacturers are hoping to make good on last-minute, conscience demand, says Karan Bhardwaj
It seems the dialogue between Prime Minister and school children on Teacher’s Day has begun to show some impressive results. Sample this. Rohan Kapoor, a 17-year-old boy from South Delhi is jostling his way on the busy streets of Sadar Bazaar. For past two hours, he has been shop hopping to buy some eco-friendly crackers for his Diwali. He will only settle down on fireworks which create no sound, no pollution and leave no waste. And he’s not the only one scouting for this stuff. “There’s a huge demand for soundless crackers which only create some light. Children and parents are asking for crackers which are pro-environment,” says Mukesh Bhai Patakhe Wala from Sadar Bazaar. One of the major reasons behind the huge demand of these crackers is the increasing awareness about Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. “Young people have joined the campaign in a big way which is clearly visible in our business. The chakris, kooda bombs and anars are no more the first preference. People are buying sky shots which are harmless to nature,” asserts Mukesh.
What’s in/outIJ
Music Party, priced at Rs 150, creates some music in the sky. These are sparkling shots which create sounds of different animals once blown up. If you are fond of colours, you can buy Silver Spider, Green Park and Blue Paris. These sky shots create multi-hued sparkling and are available in different sizes and forms. “Music Party comes with 300 shots. It’s an instant hit,” says Mukesh. To our surprise, celebrity bombs and crackers which were the highlight last year are hardly visible. “Bollywood has less takers this Diwali. There are no theme-based fireworks,” says a vendor. Nonetheless, Amitabh Bachchan, Ben Ten, Sachin Tendulkar, Shah Rukh Khan and a few prominent movie stars do make occasional appearances on stalls. Experts say they are just a gimmick to attract attention. The crackers have no special USP or qualities to be associated with any of the actors.
Consumer concern
Alok Goel, logistics manager, has bought fireworks worth Rs 5,000. However, none of the items create smoke or noise. “We haven’t got regular phooljari, anar, chakhris or say Nazi. Even rockets have become suspicious as we escaped a major mishap last year. They can blast midway or change their directions. We have always bought Cock’s productions because most of them turn out very well and are fairly priced. Standard’s products are very expensive but poor. I have bought only green sky shots,” he says. His 10-year-old son tells us how he pledged in his school recently that he would not litter his surroundings. “I promised to my teachers that I would never create junk. So I won’t blow any cracker that harm the environment,” he says.
last hopes
The overall sale of crackers has dipped this year due to inflated rates. Prices are up by 10 to 15 per cent. “The anar which was priced at Rs 200 last year is now available at Rs 220. This has affected the volumes of transactions. The biggest casualty seems to be middle class families. They have cracked down on their budget by almost 50 per cent,” says Virendra Kumar from Kaliswari Fireworks. Another reason for plunge in the market is absence of Chinese crackers. The Delhi government has banned the Chinese crackers, which flooded the market during Diwali last year leaving less choice for the consumers. “Market has suffered drastically. Chinese fireworks are relatively cheaper and come in many varieties. However, people are now forced to buy branded fireworks,” says Virendra. As a result, brands such as Sony, Murga Chap and Standard are generating more buzz. “It’s interesting to note the evolved taste of customers. There’s a sort of sophistication in the demand-supply chain this year,” observes Harjeet Singh, chairman of Sadar Nishkam Welfare Association. Now vendors are hoping for last-minute boom. “Every year, the business multiply several times as Diwali comes closer. I am expecting sell off entire stock,” says Singh.
photos Pankaj Kumar