Cracker units in TN go on indefinite closure over SC verdict

Over 1,000 fireworks units here, most of them cottage units, went on an indefinite closure from Monday demanding lifting of the time restrictions imposed by the Supreme Court for bursting crackers and the ban on use of certain chemicals.

A body of the manufacturers claimed there was 60 per cent fall in sale of firecrackers in view of the apex court order, badly affecting the industry, which has an annual turnover of around Rs 6,000 crore.

Sivakasi, about 550 km from Chennai, in southern Tamil Nadu is the country's fireworks hub and around eight lakh people are directly dependent on about 1,070 manufacturing units, including the big factories, for their livelihood.

The decision to resort to the indefinite closure was taken at a meeting of the Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Units Owners Association, its Secretary E Mariappan told reporters here.

He said the industry had been "severely affected" by the apex court order restricting the timing for bursting crackers on Deepavali to two hours, the ban on use of certain chemicals and allowing only green crackers.

Pressing for lifting of all the restrictions, he claimed that besides the eigh lakh people in and around Sivakasi, one crore people were directly or indirectly dependent on the fireworks industry throughout the country and they would also be affected.

Mariappan said there was no such thing as "green crackers" and claimed that domestic crackers were much better compared to those in foreign countries.

The apex court's order banning the use of important raw materials like barium hydrite in the manufacture of crackers would also affect theindustry.

The ban on chain crackers would make a large number of people jobless and indirectly destroy the cracker units, he said.

He said theSupreme Court should respect the sentiments of the people while deciding on important issues related to religion such as bursting crackers during Deepavali.

Meanwhile, the association representatives met state Minister K T Rajendra Balaji, who represents Sivakasi in the assembly, and held talks with him over the issue.

The association has earlier said it would file a reivew petition in the Supreme Court against its order on crackers.