Chennai: The Opposition DMK has called upon the Central government to save the fireworks industry in Tamil Nadu's Sivakasi that is on indefinite closure demanding an amendment to the Environment Protection Act to exempt their produce from its purview.
Firecracker manufacturing units in and around Sivakasi in southern Virudhunagar district, that employ about eight lakh workers directly and indirectly have shutdown since December 26.
"The Centre should step in to save the firecracker manufacturing cluster in Sivakasi, which accounts for 90 per cent of Indian firecracker production and protect the industry employing lakhs of workers," DMK working president M. K. Stalin said in a tweet, painting a grim picture of the industry. His party MPs in Rajya Sabha would raise the issue, he added.
A national-level meeting of fireworks manufacturers, traders and subsidiary industries held in Sivakasi, recently, demanded the Tamil Nadu government to implead itself in a plea filed in the Supreme Court seeking a nationwide ban on crackers. In addition, they demanded an amendment to the Environment Protection Act to exempt their produce from its ambit.
Over 860 factories in Sivakasi belt also had sought expeditious hearing of the petition - the outcome of which will have a bearing on them- by the Supreme Court. The manufacturers had said that dealers were not making advance payment for firecrackers due to pendency of the petition and this affected the working capital required by the industry.
The traders were not willing to make the payment as they fear that the court may ban fireworks across the country. The plea in the apex court seeks a series of steps to curb air pollution, including a ban on sale, possession and bursting of firecrackers.
