PMC begins checking unauthorised firecracker stalls in Pune ahead of Diwali

With Diwali near, firecracker stalls have begun appearing in crowded neighbourhoods and along busy roads in Pune. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has tightened its watch on temporary Diwali stalls.

The PMC's disaster management department has written to the anti-encroachment department asking it to act against stalls operating without proper permission. The department has warned that stalls set up in an unsafe manner can endanger both lives and property.

Following the letter, teams of the anti-encroachment department have started inspections at various places across the city. The sites where the department has found stalls include dense residential areas, commercial zones, spots near buildings, footpaths and roads. If vendors do not follow fire safety rules or do not obtain the required approvals, such places can become dangerous.

The corporation has already fixed locations for seasonal firecracker sales and has allotted stalls through auction. For this year's Diwali, the PMC has chosen 11 sites where a total of 184 firecracker stalls can be set up. These are generally open grounds, vacant spaces and designated stretches of the riverbed. The PMC's policy does not allow firecracker stalls in densely populated residential areas.

Vendors who have been allotted a site must meet 40 conditions before setting up a stall. These include keeping a gap of about three metres between two sales units and placing the stall at least 10 metres away from main roads and other establishments. The conditions are meant to reduce the risk of fire spreading and to leave enough open space around the stalls.

Even so, many vendors are reported to have set up stalls outside the approved sites. Such stalls have been seen in the Peth areas of central Pune and in the suburbs as well. In areas such as Sadashiv Peth, Narayan Peth and Shaniwar Peth, stalls have come up in lanes, on pavements and in narrow streets. This has raised the question of how strictly the corporation is enforcing its own guidelines.

The disaster management department has cautioned that a fire or any other emergency at a site without permission could cause heavy loss of life and property, especially where buildings and shops stand close together. The ongoing inspections may catch stalls that violate the rules, after which the anti-encroachment department will be able to act against stalls operating outside the designated limits.