The Virudhunagar district administration of Tamil Nadu has ordered to close down 70 firecracker manufacturing units in the district, for grave violations of safety rules. The special teams constituted by the district collector have conducted a series of inspections on these units since July 2021, and have ordered the closing down of those units which have violated the laws. Earlier in March 2021, three people died in a blast at a colour matches factory in the district. This came weeks after more than nine people died and 35 were injured when an explosion occurred at a firecracker factory.
Virudhunagar District Collector J Meghanath Reddy on Monday, September 6, said that several firecracker units that were violating the rules were ordered to shut down and the teams are on the lookout for more units. The Collector’s statement said that the district administration will streamline the functioning of these firecracker units and prevent further mishaps which lead to loss of lives and maim people for life.
The statement said that the teams had conducted inspections at 758 firecracker units in the Sivakasi, Vembakottai, Sattur, Virudhunagar, Rajapalayam, Srivilliputtur and Aruppukottai taluks. The units that were found violating safety norms were kept under suspension and locked. The statement said that of these 49 units that were given notice, and once they rectified the problems on safety norms, were given permission to function.
Notices were issued to 116 units where safety rules were not met and six cases were booked under Indian Explosives Act, 1884 for illegally making crackers at homes and illegally packing fireworks at shops.
The collector in the statement said that the monitoring teams are reconstituted every week to prevent nexus between the inspectors and the firecracker units. The heavy workload of the inspectors is another reason for changing teams every week, the statement said.