Diwali: No fireworks at 'Bazi Bazar' as rain causes dip in sales

Intermittent rain in run-up to Kali Puja and Diwali coupled with ban on sound-emitting firecrackers by authorities caused a steep decline in footfall and sale at 'Bazi Bazar' (fireworks market) here. 'Bazi Bazar' is a cluster of outlets set up in central part of city, organised by a fireworks dealers' body and supervised by state government. It is held for around a week in run-up to Kali Puja and Diwali each year.

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A large section of customers are t interested in buying light-emitting fireworks such as 'phuljhuri' and 'chorki', said Umar Bhai, one of stall owners at Bazi Bazar. "I am t hopeful of overall sales figure crossing Rs 5 lakh mark this time. If re is let-up in rain by tomorrow, re will only one day be left - Kali Puja and Diwali. Things are turning more dismal with every passing year," he told PTI at Bazi Bazar on Friday.

Hopes dashed, shift in consumer preference

Umar Bhai said he had hoped of better sales this year as Bazi Bazar returned to central Kolkata from city's sourn part where it had been organised last year. "Our hopes are dashed. Sales have t been more than 10% of last year's figure of around Rs 5 lakh in my stall. Things are turning more dismal with every passing year," he said.

number of stalls has come down from 52 in 2018 to 39 this year, said Santanu Dutta, Joint Secretary of Burrabazar Fireworks Dealers Association that organises Bazi Bazar. Showing this PTI correspondent complex with rows of stalls but only a handful of customers, Dutta said from lakhs of visitors in last couple of years, footfall could be barely around thousands, since Bazar has opened on October 23. Dutta alleged that law enforcing authorities have failed to stop manufacture and sale of banned fireworks from illegal units in fringe areas like Nungi, Champahati, Nilganj and Titagarh. "Customers are shifted from licensed fireworks to unlicensed units and banned sound-emitting crackers," he said.

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Dutta said state government has banned 130 types of fireworks – 'chocolate bombs', 'dodoma', rocket, chain crackers and shells - which cause more than 90-decibel mark fixed by authorities. "y (government) are making fireworks industry a soft target over pollution. We use air conditioners, cars – don't se pollute environment?" he said.

Offloading unsold inventory

Kamalesh Surekha, owner of ar stall, said dealers are forced to sell in throwaway prices fireworks that had been manufactured years back but remained unsold. "It has become a losing business. next generation will t be interested in it. After incurring huge expenses for taking a stall on rent, transporting fireworks, and employing staff, we are finally left with a very little sale," he said.

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Business hope never dies

Ar stall owner Chanchal Banerjee, however, is hopeful that sales would tch up at fag end, with or without rain. "People are willing to buy fireworks which emit light but don't generate sound," he said. West Bengal Pollution Control Board Chairman Kalyan Rudra said to prevent sound and air pollution during Kali Puja and Diwali, WBPCB in association with police had taken several steps to stop menace of sound-emitting crackers this time.

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