The temporary licence given to sell firecrackers on school grounds and in marriage halls in the city has raised safety concerns among the people.
According to sources, temporary licences have been given to about 60 traders to sell firecrackers in the city. The traders, who have secured the licence, have set up shops in different parts of the city. While a section of traders set up wholesale shops on Quaid-e-Milleth Road in Palakkarai, temporary shops have sprung up in different places including Srirangam, Cantonment, Ariyamangalam, Kattur, Woraiyur, Thillai Nagar and K.K. Nagar. With just a day left for the Deepavali, people are flocking to the shops to buy crackers to celebrate the festival.
What is of concern is the establishment of firecracker outlets on a few school grounds and in marriage halls. Large flex boards have been put up in front of the marriage halls and schools, inviting the people to buy crackers at a discount price.
According to the rules and regulations governing the sale and stock of explosives, no permission should be given to sell crackers on the premises of schools, colleges, cinema halls, or places of assembly. But cracker shops have come upon a school ground in Cantonment and some marriage halls in Chathiram Bus Stand area and Srirangam.
Several traders appear to have violated the rules on storing crackers and size of the outlets. According to the rules, the size of the temporary outlets should not exceed 270 sq ft. They should not stock beyond 500 kg of crackers. But some of the outlets are big in size.
“I did not notice firecracker outlets on any school ground in the past. It is disheartening to note the sale of crackers on school grounds and some marriage halls,” said K. Janardhanan, a retired forest department official in Tiruchi.
Another activist alleged that the licensing authorities had failed to follow the rulebook while granting licences to the traders. The practice should be stopped immediately. It should not be taken as a precedent in issuing licences in future.