SIVAKASI WEATHER
Stop Flooding of Illegal Chinese Fireworks

17-09-2014
17th September 2014

Courtesy: The New Indian Express

Stop Flooding of Illegal Chinese Fireworks

Chinese fireworks are banned in India. Yet, the market is flooded with such products. This is because every other day, at least one container carrying Chinese fireworks slips through the Indian ports. The Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers’ Association has claimed that with Deepavali round the corner, there has been a 35 per cent drop in the sale of fireworks this year. India’s fireworks industry is based at Sivakasi, a small town in southern Tamil Nadu, which was also famous for the film poster printing industry. The fireworks and matches industry is in the small and medium sector and employs a large number of people round the year, though it is a seasonal business.

Over the decades, the industry has earned a name for quality and quantity. It is able to meet the need for fireworks all over India during festivals like Deepavali, Christmas and New Year. That the industry received a huge order from the US during the 200th anniversary celebrations of American Independence in 1976 was a reflection of the trust it enjoys. Yet, the manufacturers in Sivakasi are unable to compete with their counterparts in China mainly on the price front. Since fireworks have virtually no shelf life and they are used as soon as they are bought, the consumer would go for the cheapest.

Few bother about quality while buying fireworks as affordability is the main consideration, though poor quality stuff can cause accidents. Nobody knows for sure how China is able to produce goods so cheap and dump them in markets like India’s. In this case, the issue is quite different. Licences to import Chinese fireworks are not given. Such items reach the market only because the importers are hand in glove with the customs authorities. Goods cannot pass through the ports without the connivance of the ports and customs authorities. If such illegal consignments can reach the market, there is no guarantee that terrorist outfits would not be able to smuggle weapons and bombs in this manner. The government should immediately stop this illegal business.


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