Persistent Operations of Illegal Fireworks Unit Despite Local Concerns Lead to Tragic Blast

Illegal Fireworks Unit in Duttapukur Continued Operation Despite Local Protests and Safety Concerns

The illegal fireworks production and storage facility based in Duttapukur, North 24-Parganas, where the deadly blast took the lives of at least eight people on Sunday, had been operating for a year. Local residents had voiced their concerns and protested against its presence, but the unit continued due to its important role in providing income to approximately 100 homemakers who were involved in packing the firecrackers.

In the wake of the explosion on May 16 at a fireworks unit in Egra, East Midnapore, many people in Duttapukur's Mojpole village had called for the shutdown of the fireworks production and storage facility in their own neighborhood. However, the shortage of work chances, including the absence of choices offered by the government's 100 days' job plan, added to the unit's ongoing operations.

Salima Biwi, a citizen of Mojpole, stated, "After the Egra blast, we asked the house owner to stop such a dangerous unit in our town. But the women workers said they did not want to lose out on pay. We failed to make them understand the risks."

Upon its creation in April of the previous year, the unit quickly offered employment to local women, giving them Rs 250 to Rs 350 per day, to handle the task of wrapping and packing firecrackers from the safety of their homes.

Approximately 100 women seized this chance as it allowed them to earn income while working from home, offering a useful extra income source for their families. The operating process involved delivery boys carrying the cracker components, wraps, and boxes to their doorsteps, followed by the collection of the final products.

Similar trends of women being involved in dangerous work appeared following the Egra blast, during which 12 people lost their lives in May. Relatives of the victims revealed that women turned to working in the illegal workplace due to the discontinuation of the 100 days' job scheme.

Although the largely residential character of Mojpole didn't offer as much scope for employment under the 100 days' scheme, locals argued that at least 50 days of work could have been given through the central scheme.

Under the 100 days' job plan, untrained workers were eligible to Rs 237 per day. However, funding for the plan in Bengal was stopped by the Centre in January 2022, claiming errors.

A farmer noted, "As there was no other earning option after the closure of the 100 days' scheme, no political leader stopped the production of firecrackers in a crowded area."

Surajit Mukhopadhyay, head of social sciences at the Royal Global University in Assam's Guwahati, pointed out that the widespread unemployment in rural Bengal had left its political leaders idle.

"It isn't possible that local government leaders, especially those in gram panchayats, did not know about such high-risk companies.... They did not try to keep locals from working in these high-risk jobs for fear of losing votes. That is why such illegal companies have been mushrooming," he stated.

Babla Roy, head of the All Bengal Fireworks Association, who visited the blast site on Sunday, claimed that the unit made high-risk explosive devices under the cover of fireworks. He suggested that even the workers, including the women, might not have been fully aware of the risks involved.