বাংলায় পড়ুন
The fireworks industry in Kolkata is reeling under the compliance of new rules. This season has been a real dampener for them. With less than 24 hours to go for Kali Puja and Diwali, shops selling fireworks are staring at the worst sales over the last two decades. The only thing they can do is now hope and pray for a miracle.
The shop owners and business owners are blaming the venue change at the last minute as a major factor that has hampered sales this year. This has curtailed the number of days from 7 to 5 for the Bazi Bazar. However, they have been hit worse by the new Supreme Court ruling which limits the time for bursting crackers from 8 pm to 10 pm on Kali Puja and Diwali. Non-Bengalis, who spend huge amounts on crackers have slashed their purchases by half. Nearly 80% revenue is generated from non-Bengali customers, who spend lavishly on expensive fireworks. But the time limit has made them purchase much less than usual. Some others also feel that the dampened market sentiments following the stock market dip and poor offtake in the real estate market has also contributed to low spends on fireworks by the non-Bengali clientele. Burrabazar Fireworks Dealers’ Association general secretary Chittaranjan Maity says the curtailing of the main fair has resulted in a 30% drop in sales. He feels they need to be more organized next year.
Meanwhile, some animal activist associations have come out with a plea to all clubs and residents in general to be careful not to hurt animals in any way during bursting of fire crackers. Kolkata Police has already started cordoning off certain open spaces and parks as special areas for bursting crackers.
