The busy lanes of Sultanpet, Bengaluru’s wholesale market for crackers, are buzzing with customers. When Metrolife visited the market on Saturday, almost all shops were packed with buyers, many of them retail shop owners picking up their stocks.
Retailers set up temporary stalls at designated grounds across Bengaluru. The overall Deepavali sentiment has not been affected by restrictions on timings and anti-pollution campaigns, say traders. Karunakar, a wholesale dealer, says customers are consciously keeping away from loud crackers this year.
“They are only buying flower pots, chakras and sparklers. Loud bombs are totally out of demand. We notice a definite change in the trend this Deepavali,” he told Metrolife.
Sujay, a father of two, is a retail customer, and visits the market to get a good deal. “My wife and I don’t burst crackers but we usually buy a package with all kinds of crackers. This way, it is easy on the pocket, we set a limit on what the children do, and even they are satisfied,” he says.
Akshath, who works as a chef in Canada, has come down to Bengaluru to celebrate Deepavali with his family and friends. He and his friends visit Sultanpet every year to buy crackers.
Why Sultanpet? “Since it is a wholesale market, we get good deals here. We buy crackers mostly for our friends’ employees. In my family, it is all about decorating the house with lights and spending the festival together. I am against loud crackers so I have just bought flower pots and chakras,” he says.
Nagaprakash says he is personally not fond of crackers but bursts them as part of the festival ritual. “Earlier, there was a scientific reason why crackers were burst during Deepavali. Usually, rains after Navaratri bring mosquitoes and firecrackers would control their numbers. The scene is absolutely uncontrollable now and bursting crackers leads to polluting the environment,” he says.
Cops to enforce time restrictions
As per the Supreme Court guidelines, fresh norms have been announced by the state government. Citizens are responsible for following these restrictions. Our officers have been asked to sensitise people in their respective locations. Traders who are selling crackers will also be informed about these guidlines.
We will encourage citizens to burst crackers as a community instead of individually. The BBMP will be identifying some open and safe places where people can go and burst crackers.
We will ensure strict implementation of the Court’s guidelines on the days and the time period when crackers can be burst (Monday to Thursday between 8 pm to 10 pm).
Our regular Hoysalas and Cheetas will be on the rounds but since it is a new rule, we need to first sensitise people and involve the society.
Seemanth Kumar Singh
Additional Commissioner of Police (East zone)
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