Unlicensed firecracker stalls rise in Pune as MPCB tests cover only authorised makers

Firecrackers have begun to go off in Pune ahead of Diwali, but it is almost impossible for a buyer to tell which ones meet noise and safety norms and which may be illegal and dangerous. Traders and citizens say action against unlicensed sellers is weak and that the number of stalls potentially selling substandard goods has risen sharply.

Food is a different matter. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can crack down on adulterated and unclean food, and officers such as Tukaram Mundhe have led it. Keeping watch on substandard firecrackers sold by unlicensed vendors is far harder, because firecrackers fall under a separate regulatory framework involving several agencies.

The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) tests firecrackers of authorised manufacturers every year to check whether they meet the prescribed noise limit and safety conditions. Stopping the sale of illegal and dangerous explosives is the job of the police, the municipal corporation and other designated agencies. Traders and citizens say action against stalls without permission is not enough. Some described the FDA as the model that others should follow.

Citizen Rakesh Kadam said, "Non-standard firecrackers should be banned because they are not safe and ordinary people cannot easily identify them. The departments that watch illegal firecrackers and unlicensed sellers should work like the FDA."

Licensed traders are also losing out. Sitaram Khade, a member of the Pune Firecracker Traders Association, said, "Only 50-60 traders in Pune hold a licence to sell firecrackers. We sell only authorised goods. In Kothrud, for instance, there are only two authorised licence holders, but 70 to 100 stalls have come up there. All these stalls without permission are selling non-standard firecrackers."

According to Khade, the Pune Municipal Corporation and the police should act against illegal stalls. He said, "The number of illegal traders selling non-standard firecrackers seems to rise every year, because no action is taken against them."

The MPCB says its annual tests found the firecrackers of authorised manufacturers within the prescribed noise standards. A board official said, "The board tested 16 types of firecrackers of authorised companies and all were found within the prescribed decibel limit." The official added, "We pick firecrackers for testing at random. Products of four companies, Anil Fireworks Factory, Myna, Dinesh Fireworks and Devasenaathipathi Fireworks, were tested." According to the official, the noise of all the firecrackers tested stayed within the limit and the sound pressure level was printed on their boxes.

The official made clear that testing is limited to firecrackers made by authorised companies. This leaves a big gap, because the goods of sellers without permission may never come into the board's regular sampling and testing.

Environmental experts say that in dense neighbourhoods, where many firecrackers go off at once, the real effect of the noise can be much greater. An activist said, "Even firecrackers within the prescribed limit, when set off separately, can together create considerable noise pollution."

Under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 and the standards of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a single firecracker may produce at most 125 dB(AI) Leq of noise at a distance of four metres. For linked or string firecrackers, the limit is 110 dB(AI) Leq.

Pune City Police have also restricted the sale and use of some firecrackers during Diwali. Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration) Sanjay Patil issued the order on October 23. It bans the sale, possession and bursting of traditional strings of firecrackers. The same ban applies to firecrackers wrapped in thread and those sold as "atom bombs".

Under the order, bursting firecrackers that make noise is prohibited between 10 pm and 6 am. Only firecrackers that give light are allowed during this period. Bursting firecrackers is also banned on public roads and in restricted areas such as hospitals and schools.

Despite these restrictions and the MPCB's annual testing, citizens want more transparency and stricter rules on the manufacture and sale of firecrackers. Rajendra Gokhale, a Kothrud resident, said, "Firecrackers of many companies are seen in the market. Telling fake from genuine is a challenge. The administration should put up a list of authorised firecrackers."

Authorised traders are demanding action against illegal sellers, and residents want clear ways to identify approved products. The challenge before the administration is to bridge this gap between testing and enforcement. The MPCB's annual testing gives some confidence in the products of authorised manufacturers, but the rising number of stalls without permission remains a concern.