Bhubaneswar: Diwali is here and the Orissa High Court has allowed the bursting of crackers, green crackers that are approved by the Petroleum & Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), from 8 pm to 10 pm.
From where do you buy green crackers? In which shops is it available? How do you make sure that you are buying green crackers and not something else?
Any licensed shop selling green crackers will need to apply for a PESO certificate. “Action will be taken if anyone is found selling crackers illegally,” said DCP (Bhubaneswar) Umashankar Das.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena has made it clear that mere labelling of fireworks as ‘green crackers’ and giving QR codes will not entitle any trader to sell them.
Shops selling green crackers will be allowed only in special zones. Wholesale traders and retailers will have to produce original invoices during an inspection by officials or police.
The online sale of crackers has been completely banned.
On July 7, PESO approved 169 firecracker units, mostly at Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu. The following firecrackers produced by these units can be used by people during Diwali in the state this year:
* Flower pots
* Pencils
* Sparklers
* Maroons
* Single sound bombs
* Maroon crackers
* Crackling aerial
* Sutali bomb
* Pencil
* Chakkar
Bhubaneswar Firecrackers Traders’ Association Secretary Akash Patnaik, however, said green crackers are yet to reach the local markets.
