Prices, weather affect firecracker sales

Chilly weather conditions coupled with hike in the prices of firecrackers have played spoilsport for fireworks dealers and distributors this Deepavali season.

Nagesh N, a fireworks trader from Mahadevapura, whose shop used to be flooded with customers and orders during this season last year, is now a worried man. He blamed the weather that is forcing Deepavali shoppers to stay indoors. “Last year, there was a huge rush and people were standing in queues to purchase crackers from my shop. But this year, from Monday morning till night, I have had only around 50 customers,” he said.

Another trader, Ravindra C, who has purchased crackers for more than Rs seven lakh from a private company, said this was the first time he had witnessed such a sharp slide in the sale of crackers. “I hardly got seven to ten customers on Monday. If the rains continue to lash this way for the next two days, then we will not be able to sell anything and will incur a huge loss.”

He attributed the low demand to advertisements and anti-cracker awareness campaigns run by government and the media.

However, cracker shops in Hosur on the Bengaluru-Tamil Nadu border, where people and wholesalers rush to  purchase firecrackers in bulk, are doing good business. A trader, who did not wished to be named, said: “We are offering more than 50 per cent discount on crackers and people came in large numbers to our shop despite the downpour on Monday.”

Dealers and distributors also attributed the decline in sales to the hike in the prices of crackers. Ashwath Narayan, a distributor from Hosur, said the prices had increased by Rs 8 to Rs 10 on all the firecracker products. A few dealers said the rise in petrol and transportation costs had forced the manufacturers and distributors to increase the cost.

Meanwhile, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and the traffic police officials have imposed a ban on bursting of crackers between 10 pm and 6 am.

“The ban has been imposed keeping in view the welfare of senior citizens and children. The police will take action against those violating the rule,” said BBMP spokesperson S S Khandre.