Odisha: 20 illegal cracker units busted in Ganjam, one held

BERHAMPUR: Ahead of Diwali, police on Thursday busted at least 20 illegal firecracker manufacturing units at Nalabanta, known as Sivakasi of Odisha, under Aska police station in Ganjam district and seized huge quantities of crackers, including a truck-load, worth around Rs 45 lakh.
While the manufactures managed to escape, the police arrested one Hrudayananda Rout of Tigiria, who was coming to Cuttack to deliver the truck-load of crackers.
"We have seized huge quantities of different types of crackers from the manufacturing units," said PK Sahoo, inspector-in-charge, Aska police station. He said a case has been registered under different sections of Odisha Firework and Loudspeaker Act and initiated an investigation.
Photoka, high-decibel bombs, kumpi, phulajhari, photoka, akashdeep, chakri, mercury torch and so on which are in high demand during Diwali. The crackers were meant to be transported to other areas across the state.
Some villages started to make the crackers before Dussehra. In the last two years, the manufacture and sale of cracker were severely hit due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Police, has launched a drive to crack down the illegal sale of the crackers across the district. On Wednesday, Partapur police seized the crackers worth Rs 10 lakh from Dengausta and Podamari areas and arrested four persons for illegally storing the crackers.