Bengaluru on high alert as crackdown targets firecracker violations

42 tonnes of fire-crackers seized, 9 establishments booked ahead of Deepavali.

In the aftermath of the tragic October 7 fire at a firecracker warehouse in Attibele, which claimed 16 lives, authorities in Bengaluru have issued an unprecedented alert in preparation for Deepavali. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has ordered a crackdown on firecracker shops and godowns suspected of illegal operations or violations of their license conditions.

Police teams, accompanied by fire and emergency services and revenue officials, have launched inspections of 28 firecracker establishments across the city. So far, they have taken legal action against nine of these establishments for violations and seized a substantial 41.5 tonnes of firecrackers.

Divisional level operations

The inspections, conducted at the divisional level, have revealed that many establishments were storing quantities of firecrackers exceeding their permits and exploiting legal loopholes to maximise profits during the festive season. In one case, an illegal godown holding seven quintals of firecrackers was discovered in Sanjaynagar police station area, leading to the owner’s arrest.

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner B Dayananada emphasised the need for strict compliance with storage provisions specified in licenses and adherence to fire and safety norms. Violations could result in the cancellation of licenses upon review by the chief controller of explosives. Any seized explosives are destroyed after obtaining court
permission.

“We are conducting inspections of all firecracker sellers and godowns across all eight divisions. If we identify any deviations, we will promptly notify the chief controller of explosives to consider cancelling the NOC and licenses of the shops,” Dayananada told DH.  

Among the city’s eight divisions, the southeast reported the highest number of violations, with four out of five establishments found in violation. This division alone saw the confiscation of 40.5 tonnes of firecrackers worth Rs 70 lakh.

While central division had no firecracker sellers or godowns, the east division had no violators among its four establishments. In the south division, 120 kg of crackers were seized, and Whitefield division saw the confiscation of 53 kg.

In the west division, all 10 godowns were closed, with seven of them located in congested areas. “Of the 10 godowns, three had no stocks. The remaining seven godowns were in Cottonpet and City Market area and had stocks. They were asked to take away their fire crackers as many of them were found to be operating out of congested areas,” DCP (West) S Girish said.

Elaborating on the violations in storage and licensing, DCP (southeast) C K Baba said. “In some cases, gross violations of the national building code have also surfaced.  According to Baba, they are also verifying the establishments’ claims that they are selling green crackers. “All green crackers must have a certification from NEERI, if not they will be seized,” he asserted. 

The shop in Attibele recently renewed its licence on September 23 only for selling and stocking only 1000 kg of crackers, but they had exceeded their storage many times over.

“There was a showroom in the front and the huge stockyard, that was drawn behind covered a huge area. At the time of the incident, there were people sitting inside making gift boxes for Deepavali. The force of the explosion tore apart the left side of the container, including the corrugated sheets. This area was densely packed with shops in close proximity,” said Kamal Pant, Director General of Fire and Emergency Services.

He also mentioned that the current inspections will assess compliance with fire and safety measures.

Progress of investigations

The officers from the Criminal Investigation Department, who have taken over the probe into the Attibele firecracker tragedy, told DH that they are currently investigating the roles of each accused person, including some yet to be identified.

“Firstly, there are the license holders—three individuals are involved in this. Secondly, there is the owner of the site, who had rented out the premises. Additionally, the investigators are looking into the transporters who carried the firecrackers from Tamil Nadu, regardless of whether they possessed licenses or not. The investigation includes a detailed examination of all these points and an assessment of any lapses by the authorities responsible for inspecting the site before issuing licenses,” said the investigating officer.

Common violations Holding stocks exceeding permitted limits. Obtaining permission for sales and warehouse openings and subsequently storing firecrackers. Selling firecrackers without proper permission.

Will licences for temporary shops be regulated?

BBMP officials have also been part of the ongoing inspections of firecracker sellers/godowns by the Bengaluru City Police. “Every year we issue around 500 licenses for firecracker shops to operate in selected open spaces like playgrounds. We have asked our zonal commissioners to submit a report by October 16 after visiting the designated open spaces to assess their suitability for accommodating a large number of firecracker retail establishments” BBMP Commissioner Tushar Girinath told DH. He mentioned that the police would inspect these open spaces to determine how many temporary stalls they can accommodate before reaching a conclusion. “For shops obtaining temporary licenses NOCs are required from the BBMP fire and emergency services traffic police and the electrical inspectorate. We will adhere to the rules and ensure their proper implementation” Police Commissioner Dayananda said.

No inspections NOCs for license renewal

A senior police officer explained that firecracker shops/godowns were exploiting systemic loopholes in the licensing system. “The Chief Controller of Explosives a member of the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation issues licenses for all firecracker storage without inspecting the premises. These licenses are granted based on the NOCs issued by the district magistrate and the renewal is also handled by the Chief Controller. However during the renewal there is no need to obtain NOCs again from relevant agencies such as fire safety and BBMP” he said. The officer added “Licensed places may have become built-up areas over time due to operational expansion. Still the Chief Controller of Explosives renew their licenses without conducting even a cursory inspection.”