Diwali celebrations: No fire permits for 700 shops in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: More than 700 small firecracker outlets in the city are functioning without proper permits, informed the police. While the Hyderabad and Cyberabad police have issued a set of mandatory guidelines to be followed and have also said that the permits must be displayed in the shops, most shop owners are not following the directive.

In the wake of the recent Kakinada accident, citizens have now become more vigilant and have written to their respective police stations asking for regular patrolling. People are worried that such untoward incidents may cause damage and the loss to lives would be manifold in residential areas.

“During Diwali, we see a lot of small cracker shops coming up at random places on the streets. Though there are a set of rules that have been framed by the Hyderabad and Cyberabad police, that permissions must be exhi-bited clearly, not many follow it. Police must check these licenses properly. There is not much awareness among people about it.

These shops do not even have basic fire extinguishers or even a bucket of water. Kids are usually found at these stores buying crackers and there is no one that can attend to them in case of a mishap. I have written to the ACP, requesting regular patrolling,” said  G.V. Rao, general secretary, Greater Alwal Allied Service Association.

Immadishetty Pratap, president, Crackers Wholesale Association, Secunderabad said, “We always ensure and take permission much ahead of time. There are a few stalls in BHEL and Ashok Nagar near the vegetable and the fish market that have suddenly cropped up. These need to be verified. We have eight wholesale shops and have shifted to Dhobi Ghat from Mahan-kali area in the interest of the public.”

As per the police officials, every shop owner is required to apply for a temporary licence in Form-AE5 of the Explos-ives Rules and NoC from the Divisional Fire Officer, land permission issued by the MCH authorities in case of government land, copy of license issued the previous year, NoC from neighbours and get the site plan of the shop.

V. Satyanarayana, DCP, West Zone, said that they were giving permissions only after physically verifying stalls. “We are regulating these shops and are giving permission only if we are completely satisfied with the all documents that have been submitted.”

Tips for a safe Diwali

• Limit use of firecrackers and abstain from using loud explosives.
• Wear masks (for people suffering from asthma) to prevent inhaling of poisonous mix of gases.
• Wear ear plugs if you are  hypertensive to minimise the impact of high decibel explosions.
• Never leave firecrackers half burnt; douse them in water before disposing them.
• Follow extreme care and always burn crackers in an open area.
• Keep numbers of your family physician handy in case of an emergency.