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Chennai Firecracker Traders Face Damp Diwali as Rain and Weak Demand Hurt Sales
19 Oct
Summary
- Intermittent rain and lower demand dampened firecracker sales in Chennai
- Footfall at major cracker markets down by 50-70% compared to last year
- Some shops selling 'paper bombs' without green cracker certification
As the city of Chennai geared up for Diwali celebrations, firecracker traders faced a mixed bag of fortunes. In the days leading up to the festival, intermittent rain and lower demand dampened sales at several outlets across the city.
At a temporary cracker outlet near Nehru Park metro, retailer Riyas reported a significant drop in footfall. Compared to around 600-700 customers two days before last year's Diwali, this year saw only about 300 visitors on Saturday and just 100 by noon on Sunday.
The situation was similar at the prominent cracker bazaar in Island Grounds, where vendors say the crowd has been much less compared to the previous year. According to cracker associations, a daily footfall of 3,000-5,000 and sales worth 10 lakh per shop are considered conducive for good profits. However, for the last two days, shops have hardly made 2-3 lakh each.
Interestingly, a section of shops was also found selling 'paper bombs' without the mandatory CSIR NEERI-accredited green cracker certification, violating safety rules. These uncertified crackers produce loud noise and generate significant paper waste.
Despite the sluggish sales in Chennai, Ganesan Panjurajan, president of the Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers' Association, dismissed claims of poor performance. He stated that the state has already achieved last year's turnover of 6,000 crore across Tamil Nadu.
