Puttingal may happen again

A new circular issued by the Deputy Chief Controller of Explosives says that most temples across the state are conducting fireworks without putting in place any safety measures

THRISSUR: An 'explosive' situation prevails in the state with safety rules being thrown to the winds while conducting fireworks during the ongoing festival season. 

To prevent any disasters of the Puttingal type, the office of the Deputy Chief Controller of Explosives in Kochi has issued a circular to all the 14 district collectors citing the blatant violations of explosives rules 2008 and listing out the various conditions for issuing licence for making fireworks.

The new circular should be an eyeopener to the officials, fireworks buffs and the devotees that even after the Puttingal tragedy in Kollam in April 2016 in which 111 persons lost their lives and more than 350 were injured, the rules to ensure the safety of devotees and public are not put in place.

There were complaints over the use of unauthorized locally made aerial fireworks like 'amittu, gundu and kuzhiminal' being used in the ongoing festivals. The circular says, "it has been noticed that most of the temples in the state are conducting public display of fireworks during the current temple festival by violating all the provisions of explosives rules 2008 and various conditions of licence jeopardizing public safety and property."

As the major firework items 'amittu, gundu and kuzhiminal' cannot be manufactured in premises licenced by the district magistrate (collector), the manufactures of these items need to submit a proposal to the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization (PESO).

The Heritage Animal Task Force based in Thrissur had filed complaints with the Deputy Chief Controller of Explosives in Kochi citing that in almost all the major festival fireworks conducted in Thrissur this year, rules were tampered with for the use of the major firework items with some of the manufactures putting gun powder inside shells of once-used and approved firework items brought from Sivakasi.

"We have filed complaints with the PESO officials regarding this with evidence," task force general secretary V.K. Venkitachalam said.

He said that the letters of the Deputy Chief Controller of Explosives which were issued to the collectors last month had clearly mentioned that the aerial firework sanction needed to be obtained by submitting samples to PESO and that district collectors could not give the nod to manufacture and use them.

Thiruvambadi Devaswom secretary M. Madhavankutty told DC that the fresh circular had reiterated the existing rules and would not come in the way of Thrissur Pooram fireworks to be held in April.

"Last year, we submitted several samples to PESO's regional office in Sivakasi and some of the samples were approved. The organizers of Thrissur Pooram will talk to PESO officials in the light of this circular. If necessary, the Pooram organizers are ready to submit samples to PESO this year as well and we are sure that none of the banned substance like potassium chlorate will be used in our firework items," he said.