Wholesale and retail fire cracker traders are staring at a huge fall in demand this Deepavali, despite value-added items being put up for sale owing to the pandemic situation and curbs on selling items causing air and sound pollution.
The fall in demand has resulted in the cost of fire crackers and other items dropping by up to 40%. Still, there are a few buyers, including those from northern India, who generally purchase them in bulk, said Shihab Salim, owner of National Traders, Kaloor, one of the oldest shops in the city.
“Many customers are keeping away from shops, assuming that items are not available owing to the ban in Delhi and curbs in other metros to keep pollution under check. Eighty per cent of fire crackers and allied items come from Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, while the rest come from manufacturing units in N. Paravur and Angamaly. The border standoff with China and subsequent trade curbs have affected inflow of goods from that country,” he added.
The materials put up for sale cost anything from ₹1 to ₹10,000 a piece. The high-in-demand item is the mixed colour aerial shots which go up to over 100 metres, with cracking, whistling or musical sounds. Discerning customers come seeking eco-frendly or ‘green crackers’, Mr. Salim added.
The owner of Kovilvattom Road-based New Cochin Syndicate, A.A. Azad, who has been in the business for around 50 years said business had fallen by around 75%. “This despite manufacturers making crackers which have sound less than 120 db, conforming to government norms. We hope to sell better for Vishu, when demand increases in Ernakulam and northern districts, vis a vis Deepavali,” he added.
