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The Bihar government has banned the sale of dangerous fireworks before and during the Diwali festival.
In this regard, it has sent a directive to all the 37 district magistrates (DMs) to prevent occurrence of any accident related to fireworks and fireworks manufacturing units before and during the festival.
This action was prompted by reports that fireworks manufacturing units were disregarding safety issues, sources said.
A senior police official in Patna said that incidents of explosions in shops selling fireworks are common during the time of Diwali.
Three days back, four persons, including a woman, died after a fire broke out in a fireworks manufacturing factory in Bhagalpur district. The fire had led to the explosion of the fireworks, which were being packed in preparation for sale during the Diwali festival.
In 1999, 21 people had been killed in Patna following an explosion in a shop selling fireworks.
Interestingly, the state government does not have a list of units manufacturing fireworks in the state. According to rough estimates, over a hundred units are involved in the trade.
It is estimated that, during the Diwali festival, over 10,000 people are engaged in the business, which is valued at about Rs 20 million.
A wholesale dealer said that a good deal of the fireworks are brought from Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh.
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