Diwali firecracker mishaps: Accountability, robust legal framework are a must

LIKE every year, Diwali fireworks have triggered mishaps across the country during the past week. Four persons were killed in Chennai when country-made firecrackers stored illegally in a house went off. The residential premises doubled as a shop selling fireworks — illicitly, of course. A new menace — carbide gun — landed more than 100 people, most of them children, in hospital in Madhya Pradesh. This crude gun is made with a gas lighter, a plastic pipe and calcium carbide. During a meeting ahead of Diwali, the MP government had directed district magistrates and police officers to ensure that carbide guns were not sold. However, their manufacture and sale continued, overtly or covertly. It is regrettable that the authorities failed to do the needful despite being well aware of the problem. Such lapses are not confined to one state; they have become par for the course nationwide in the festival season.

Lack of accountability is a major stumbling block. Officials are rarely brought to book for poor enforcement of the law aimed at regulating the manufacture, possession, use, sale, transport, import and export of explosives for commercial purposes. Making matters worse, the law itself is a moth-eaten relic of the Raj. Earlier this year, the Union government proposed to repeal the Explosives Act, 1884, on the grounds that it was not in sync with the current circumstances and the industry’s needs. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade invited comments and suggestions from the public, industry associations and others regarding the proposal; the deadline in this regard ended three months ago. It is vital to proactively take the feedback into consideration and fine-tune the Explosives Bill, 2025.

The new law must prioritise the safety of all stakeholders — consumers, vendors, stockists, industrial workers, etc. A strict licensing system and stiff penalties for unauthorised possession, sale, manufacture and transportation of explosives are among the key boxes that should be ticked. Collective efforts are needed to insulate the festivities from all kinds of hazards.

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