Greater environmental awareness, consistent ‘Say no to crackers’ campaigns and rising prices may hit demand by 35% to 40%, finds survey.
This Diwali, expect less noise and less fumes.
Greater environmental awareness, rising prices of firecrackers and anti-cracker campaigns have taken their toll on the sale of firecrackers.
The demand for firecrackers is likely to be fall by 35% to 40% this year, revealed a recent survey by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham).
Moreover, a 30% to 40% increase in the cost of crackers over last year is also expected this Diwali.
But this has not dampened the spirit of most Mumbaikars. “We are not going to call off celebrations because of the price rise. But, we will surely cut the budget for firecrackers considerably,” said Mona Bharatiya, a homemaker from Thane. “We usually spend Rs2,000 to Rs3,000 on firecrackers.”
The apex industry body interviewed 250 firecracker manufacturers in Sivakasi at Tamil Nadu and 500 dealers and retailers in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Lucknow from September to October 15 to gauge people’s sentiments in the domestic firecracker industry. The survey found that citizens are more inclined to protecting the environment and not burning a hole in their pocket this year.
Most of the firecrackers sold across the country are made at Sivakasi, where 1.5 lakh people work in around 10,000 firecracker factories.
Manufacturers blamed the hike in fuel prices, increased road freight, escalating raw material (sulphur, potassium and nitrate and waste paper) prices due to shortage have led to slump in profits for the firecracker industry.
“It is great that people have started thinking seriously about their health and the environment too. This is definitely because of the aggressive anti-crackers campaign launched by most schools who educate their students about the harmful effects of firecrackers. Children are more sensitive to the cause and even influence their families,” said Dr Rakesh Kumar, director, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute.
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