Aurangabad, Nov 3:
With Covid-19 slowly subsiding, preparations are underway in the city to celebrate Diwali festival. Like every year, firecracker markets will start in different parts of the city from November 8. However, due to doubts about the expected response from consumers, the firecracker sellers said that they have ordered half the stock than last year.
Firecrackers are brought from Sivakasi, Ahmednagar, Jalgaon and Madhya Pradesh. About 200 stalls are set up in the city. The lockdown has reduced the production of firecrackers at Sivakasi and other areas. Hence the manufacturers have hiked rates by 5 to 10 per cent. Rising fuel prices have made transportation more expensive. Therefore, firecrackers may cost 10 to 20 per cent more than last year. The district administration has also given permission to start firecracker markets and has started application process for vendors. The vendors have been asked to bring a no-objection certificate from the municipal corporation, gram panchayat, electricity company, concerned police station and fire department. The firecracker market is expected to start from November 8 at Ayodhyanagri, TV Center, Kalagram, Beed Bypass, Waluj, Sillod and Phulambri. Ravindra Mule Bharatmata Firecrackers Association said "All preventive measures will be in place at the crackers market. Masks, sanitizers and temperature checks will be arranged at the gates of the ground. This year, some vendors have arranged for the goods to be delivered to customers homes by accepting orders through phone and WhatsApp. Since the past few years, there has been a demand for colourful firecrackers rather than loud sound crackers. Hence we have ordered colourful crackers this year.
Firecrackers are stress buster
"Corona patients are dwindling and firecrackers are needed to alleviate the stressful situation created by covid in the last six to eight months. Preparations are underway to set up stalls at various places. There will be 50 shops at Ayodhyanagari ground, 35 at TV Center, 50 at Kalagram, 22 at Beed bypass and 10 shops near Cambridge School," said Raju Pargaonkar president, Sambhajinagar Firecrackers Association.