Kendrapara: As Diwali remains only a fortnight away, firecracker makers and diya makers are busy in and around this district.
Being a seasonal occupation, the cracker makers, who are basically farmers, are seen completely coated in explosives materials. The odour of gunpowder and other explosive materials can be felt at Indupur, a hub of cracker manufacturing.
In Garapur, Gulanagar, Sujanagar, Pundalo, Dihabalarampur, Kacheripada, Indupur, Nikirai, Tendakuda, Chandol and other villages, one can come across buzzing cracker making activities.
Similarly, the potters of Manakarpur, Thakurpatana and Jagulaipada can be seen making diyas for the festival.
The cracker makers are working amid heaps of explosive materials stored in dingy houses, thereby endangering their lives.
According to Abhimanyu Behera, a cracker maker of Dhumat, “I work as a daily wager at a cracker manufacturing unit during Kali Puja and Diwali. During this time, I manage to earn something between Rs 7,000 to Rs 10,000.”
Nearly 30 to 35 families have been involved in making firecrackers in the district. “Kali Puja is considered the time to earn money for the whole year as we have to spend the earnings during the off-season,” Karunakar Mallick, a cracker maker of Indupur, said.
“As it is the question of our survival we make crackers for Diwali by putting our lives at risk,” said Kulamani Mallick, another cracker maker.
“Raw materials like aluminum powder, iron, sulphur, gelatin, barium nitrate, potassium nitrate and palm leaves, integral to the making and packing of firecrackers, have seen a steep rise in price along with GST. Thus, the prices of firecrackers too have gone up,” said Narahari Pani, the owner of a cracker manufacturing unit at Dhumat.
“All depends on the weather. If the weather remains dry we would do a brisk business, else we would face loss once again like the past couple of years,” he added.
PNN