No Chinese firecracker in J’khand this Diwali

JAMSHEDPUR/ RAMGARH: Despite no official order or communique from the state administration, Chinese firecrackers are not being allowed to be sold during this Diwali in most parts of Jharkhand.

While the Ramgarh district administration has directed licensed firecracker sellers not to sale foreign-made firecrackers and warned that those found selling imported firecrackers will be penalised, the East Singhbum administration has not issued any official directive but has “verbally” told licensed shop-owners not to sale such firecrackers.

“A total of 25 big firecrackers sellers have applied for license and we will issue temporary licenses with the condition that firecracker shops will be set up at the Sidhu Kanhu district ground,” said Ramgarh deputy commissioner Rajeshwari B.

“Firecrackers sellers will not sale foreign-made firecrackers,” she said.

Temporary licences have been issued to 305 firecracker sellers under Rule 84 of the Jharkhand Explosive Rules-2008 of Explosive Act-1884, said Bindeswari Tatma, Jamshedpur special rationing officer. In 2014, the government banned the sale of foreign-made (read Chinese) firecrackers by putting in the list of restricted explosives. A state home department directive states that explosives with sound levels exceeding 125 db (decibel) in the A-1 category and 145 db in the C category at 4m distance from the point of bursting the cracker have been banned. Licensees have to be prominently displayed in the shops for inspections by authorities.

Not a single shop has yet been set up at the designated grounds in Jamshedpur, due to the high cost of more than `4000 as rent, tent and electricity charges.