Mayhem, sparked by storage on the sly

Illegal units manufacturing and storing firecrackers thrive in the State. A two-bedroom house at Varapuzha that blew up in February had enough raw material to make 5,000 ‘kathina,’ whereas the operator’s licence did not allow him to manufacture fireworks. Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) officials say it is up to the police to furnish details of illegal units.

On a sedate, but humid evening of February 28, a two-bedroom house with clay tile roofing in the middle of a densely populated Muttinakam in Varapuzha panchayat was blown to smithereens with a loud thud and tremor, the impact of which was felt kilometres away. 

Once the dust settled, revealing the rubble strewn around like in a war zone, it emerged that the decrepit dwelling had packed in, illegally, gunpowder and raw materials enough to make about 5,000 kathina (a type of firecracker that bursts by producing a loud sound and tremor). 

Varapuzha natives and brothers Jenson and Janson had converted the rented house into an illegal cracker manufacturing unit and had been running it for over five years. Shockingly, the enforcement agencies, including the police, the local body and the district administration had no clue. 

The system failure resulted in the death of a 52-year-old and injury to seven others, including three children, in the explosion that ripped through houses in the area. Despite several such accidents in the past, illegal firecracker storage and manufacturing units continue to thrive in the State. There is no official data on the illegal units either with the sub-circle office of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) here (which has jurisdiction over Kerala and Lakshadweep) or the Ernakulam district administration.

As per the Explosives Rules, 2008, the district magistrate is the licensing authority for manufacturing fireworks or gunpowder or both, not exceeding 15 kg at any one time, while the Chief Controller of PESO is the licensing authority for manufacturing fireworks or gunpowder or both exceeding 15 kg and not exceeding 500 kg at any one time.

According to senior officials of PESO, the Executive Magistrates or police officers not below the rank of Sub-Inspector should inspect approved store houses for explosives once in six months to see if rules are complied with. The assessment report has to be submitted to the District Magistrate or Superintendent of Police or Commissioner with a copy to the licensing authority. The inspecting authority, on inspection of the premises, should communicate to the licensee and the licensing authority in writing, his observation of discrepancies, and a copy of the inspection report should be submitted to the licensing authority for further action.  

“We have data about the licensed units. However, no details are available on the illegal units as it is the responsibility of the police to furnish such a report. There is also not much input from the police on violations related to the use, sale, and possession of explosives in the licensed units,” according to senior officials of PESO here.