BHOPAL: Just a week ahead of Diwali, the annual hustlebustle at firecracker market is completely missing this year. This is the time when it it gets difficult to enter the ‘wholesale phataka market’ near Bairagarh but on Saturday, there were hardly any customers, sellers said.
The administration has also not been able to identify a place to allow the retailers to hold firecrackers market leading to confusion and further loss of business, those in the business said. There are over 500 firecracker retailers in the city and they are yet to get the requisite licenses from the district administration. Though many of them have already paid advance to the wholesalers, they are left with no option but to wait for the document.
When contacted, a spokesman of the district administration told the TOI on Saturday that the process of renewing the licenses to retailers is on. “It will be finished today. There is no delay in the process as such and every year it happens during the same time,” he said.
The latest in the series was the government orders not to sell the firecrackers with pictures of gods and goddesses. However, the wholesalers said it is not the administration or ban of a particular firecracker, it is the Covid which is the main reason for “major disruption in the business”.
President of the wholesalers association of firecracker traders Daulatram Sabnani said, “Sales are just 50 % till today. You can imagine the lull. Last year, one week before Diwali, this place was jam-packed,” he said at the almost-empty ground at the phataka bazaar. “This is all because of a coronavirus infection scare. People don’t have money either.” “It’s not only phataka, but in every segment of the market, there is hardly any business,” said Sabnani.
Kamlesh Chandnani, another wholesaler said, “Many retailers who have paid in advance for their shops are still clueless a week before the festival. We have been requesting the administration to issue the licenses to run firecracker shops 15 days in advance.”
Last year, the firecracker market crashed because of extended monsoon and rain. It had rained even on the Diwali day, said one of the traders. Earlier this week, the state government banned firecrackers with depiction of deities after a video of a group of activists issuing a threat to burn the shops selling them went viral. “Retailers have not been able to understand the scenario. How would they maintain social distancing in ‘phatakha bazaar’ and what would be the norms for firecracker sellers,” said Chandnani.
The administration has also not been able to identify a place to allow the retailers to hold firecrackers market leading to confusion and further loss of business, those in the business said. There are over 500 firecracker retailers in the city and they are yet to get the requisite licenses from the district administration. Though many of them have already paid advance to the wholesalers, they are left with no option but to wait for the document.
When contacted, a spokesman of the district administration told the TOI on Saturday that the process of renewing the licenses to retailers is on. “It will be finished today. There is no delay in the process as such and every year it happens during the same time,” he said.
The latest in the series was the government orders not to sell the firecrackers with pictures of gods and goddesses. However, the wholesalers said it is not the administration or ban of a particular firecracker, it is the Covid which is the main reason for “major disruption in the business”.
President of the wholesalers association of firecracker traders Daulatram Sabnani said, “Sales are just 50 % till today. You can imagine the lull. Last year, one week before Diwali, this place was jam-packed,” he said at the almost-empty ground at the phataka bazaar. “This is all because of a coronavirus infection scare. People don’t have money either.” “It’s not only phataka, but in every segment of the market, there is hardly any business,” said Sabnani.
Kamlesh Chandnani, another wholesaler said, “Many retailers who have paid in advance for their shops are still clueless a week before the festival. We have been requesting the administration to issue the licenses to run firecracker shops 15 days in advance.”
Last year, the firecracker market crashed because of extended monsoon and rain. It had rained even on the Diwali day, said one of the traders. Earlier this week, the state government banned firecrackers with depiction of deities after a video of a group of activists issuing a threat to burn the shops selling them went viral. “Retailers have not been able to understand the scenario. How would they maintain social distancing in ‘phatakha bazaar’ and what would be the norms for firecracker sellers,” said Chandnani.
