E-Paper
Blasts at cracker units notwithstanding illegal activity continues in UP’s Kaushambi
Locals have alleged that officials are often aware of the illegal firecracker trade but fail to act against it
Prefer HTon Google
Monday’s deadly explosion at an illegal firecracker factory in Chilla Shahbazi village on the Manjhanpur-Manauri road was far from an isolated incident in Uttar Pradesh’s Kaushambi district. The district has witnessed several blasts at illegal firecracker units over the years, repeatedly claiming lives and raising questions over enforcement against the illicit trade.
The latest blast occurred nearly two years after a powerful explosion at a firecracker factory in Bharwari in 2024 that claimed 13 lives. The Bharwari incident itself followed an earlier blast at a firecracker unit in the area. Despite such incidents, another illegal unit continued to operate, highlighting alleged lapses in checking the manufacture and storage of firecrackers.
Similar explosions have occurred in Daranagar and the Sirathu-Sarai Akil areas of Kaushambi in the past, resulting in fatalities. However, locals later claimed that firecrackers continued to be manufactured on a small scale in some areas.
In Kaushambi, a major blast occurred at an illegal firecracker factory in Bharwari in 2020, killing three women who were engaged in manufacturing fireworks. Again, in October 2023, an explosion at a firecracker factory in Bundi in Manauri area of Kaushambi injured several workers.
Locals have alleged that officials are often aware of the illegal firecracker trade but fail to act against it. They have also alleged a nexus between operators of such units and local-level officials. Such allegations surface after almost every major accident, with residents questioning why preventive action is not taken before a tragedy occurs.
Naushad, owner of the illegal firecracker unit where Monday’s blast occurred, is reportedly not the only person involved in the trade. Locals claimed that several others were also engaged in the illegal business and had allegedly stored large quantities of firecrackers.
Several residents also claimed to have shared information about other suspected firecracker traders with officials, raising questions over whether timely action could have prevented Monday’s tragedy.
Kaushambi district magistrate Amit Pal said in the wake of the latest blast, a complete review of the firecracker units in the district is being undertaken. Kaushambi SP Saytanarayan Prajapat said the exercise to identify all illegal operators manufacturing firecrackers in the district has been ordered.
Police officials maintain that the illegal firecracker business is booming in Kaushambi because it borders densely populated urban districts like Prayagraj. Because Prayagraj does not permit local firecracker units within its city limits, Kaushambi serves as the ideal, loosely monitored peripheral backyard.
Unlicensed manufacturers exploit this proximity to rapidly supply illicit, high-demand wedding and festive markets across neighbouring zones, including Kanpur and Varanasi.
The presence of the Ganga and the Yamuna in the district also provides way for illegal operators to smuggle in illegal explosives and chemicals needed for manufacturing the firecrackers which is often difficult and risky through roads.
