Nagpur fire department issues 831 firecracker shop permits, a test of High Court order

The High Court has issued clear directions to curb firecracker noise during Diwali. Despite this, the fire department in Nagpur has issued a large number of temporary permits for selling firecrackers this time. The number is higher than last year, with 831 certificates issued in all. Enforcing the court's order on the ground will therefore be a test for the administration.

Fire department figures from 2015 to 2026 show the number of certificates for firecracker shops has gone up and down from year to year. The highest, 982 certificates, was issued in 2016. The number then kept falling and reached its lowest, 582, in 2020. It began rising again, and for the past three years it has stayed above 800.

Night-time fireworks will be watched. The High Court has banned bursting firecrackers after 10 pm. Strictly enforcing this time limit during the Diwali days will be a challenge for the administration. The fire department keeps receiving complaints about firecrackers being burst after 12 midnight. There will also be pressure to act on them.

Now the figures by fire station. The Ganjipeth fire station issued 77 certificates in 2015 and 74 in 2016. In 2020 the number fell to 35. This time the station has issued 54 certificates.

The Sakkardara station issued 180 certificates in 2015. It issued 170 in 2023 and 174 in 2024. In 2025 the number fell to 98, but this time it has risen again to 123.

The Sugatnagar station issued 141 certificates in 2015 and 150 in 2016. In 2020 the figure was 93. This time 110 certificates have been issued. The Narendranagar station issued its highest, 185 certificates, in 2018. The number came down to 69 in 2020, then 107 in 2025, and 128 certificates have been issued this time.

The biggest increase is seen at the Lakadganj station. It issued 81 certificates in 2015. The figure was 136 in 2024 and 154 in 2025, and has now reached 157.