Wai residents question lax enforcement of firecracker sale safety rules ahead of Diwali

The government and the administration concerned have laid down strict safety rules and conditions for the sale of firecrackers during Diwali. Despite this, citizens say these rules are being openly ignored in Wai taluka. Angry residents are asking who will actually check whether safety norms are being followed at the sale sites, and who will act against those breaking the rules.

Under the rules, sheds set up for selling firecrackers must be safe and kept away from inflammable material. No outsider or unauthorised person should be allowed in. A gap of at least three metres is required between two sheds, and a distance of at least 50 metres must be kept from any protected building or place. Keeping more than 50 shops in one cluster is also prohibited. The question is how far these rules are being followed on the ground.

Open lamps, lanterns, candles and smoking are clearly banned in the firecracker sale area. Residents ask whether this is being strictly observed. They also ask whether the electrical wiring is safe, and whether each row of shops has a separate switch along with a main switch. Is the administration strictly checking that no firecracker boxes, empty cartons or inflammable material are lying in front of the shops? Citizens are asking whether the administration's responsibility ends once permission is granted.

The conditions also state clearly that shops must not hold excess stock or crowds of customers. No more than 13 customers are to be allowed in a shop at a time. The emergency exit must remain fully clear. Adequate fire extinguishers and buckets of water must be kept, and sellers and workers must have received fire safety training. People are asking whether these conditions are being enforced on the ground or exist only on paper.

Sale of firecrackers requires compliance with the conditions of LE-3 and LE-5 licences and the relevant provisions of the Explosives Rules, 2008. The sale and storage of banned chlorate-based firecrackers are also prohibited. Only firecrackers that carry the label of an authorised manufacturer, instructions for use and safety information may be sold. The prescribed limits on noise pollution must also be observed.

Firecrackers louder than 125 dB(AI) are banned, so who will check those on sale in the market? Does the administration have any means of measuring noise levels? Or, residents ask, is the voice of the rules being drowned out in the Diwali excitement? Firecrackers are highly inflammable and dangerous, so fire safety at the sale site must be given top priority.

The possibility of a major fire breaking out within minutes if an accident occurs cannot be ruled out. The question, therefore, is whether the fire systems, emergency exits, distance between shops and crowd-control arrangements were inspected on the spot when the sale sites were fixed. The administration should answer this publicly. Residents are asking what purpose the system serves if the administration issues a long list of rules but they are not implemented in the market.

Citizens are asking why no action is taken when rules are broken and where the inspection teams are. They also ask whether licences have actually been verified and whether a fire brigade report has been obtained. They further ask who will be responsible if an accident occurs tomorrow.

Citizens demand an immediate joint inspection of firecracker sale sites in Wai taluka and strict action against sellers who violate safety rules. They say it is time for the administration to step into the field and act instead of showing rules on paper. People in Wai want answers from the administration on whether the rules are meant for the public or only for the record, where safety stands when permission is given to firecracker sellers, and where the administration's grip has gone.