The Divisional Officer of Fire and Rescue Services, T. Selvaraja, has formed four teams to check for violations in the shops established in different parts of the district to sell crackers for Diwali.
Speaking to The Hindu , he said that a team consisting of Nagercoil fire station officer M. Durai and Kanyakumari fire station officer S. Paradeep Kumar led by the Assistant Divisional Officer, P. Saravana Babu, would monitor the fire safety measures taken in the retail as well as wholesale cracker units in Agastheeswaram and Thovalai taluks. Similarly Colachel fire station officer N. Ratinasamy, Kulasekaram fire station officer R. Sekar and Thuckalay fire station officer V. A. Jaffer Sathik under the supervision of Kuzhuthurai fire station officer S. Sathyakumar would monitor the safety measures adopted by the cracker units in Kalkulam and Vilavancode taluks.
The Divisional Officer also said that the firework shops were permitted to keep only 100 kg of fireworks, 500 kg of Chinese crackers or sparklers on the premises, licensed by the District Magistrate, and 300 kg of fireworks and 1,200 kg of Chinese crackers or sparklers on the premises of shops, licensed by the Department of Explosive (Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organization) under the revised Explosive rules, 2008. The weight of the fireworks mentioned was the weight of the completed article inclusive of the ease of contrivance in which the explosives was contained as per the rule 16 of Explosive Rules, 2008, Mr. Selvaraja added.
The fire service personnel along with the local police have intensified their vigil on the national highways to prevent transportation of crackers in transport corporation buses to prevent any untoward incident. Steps would be taken to seize the crackers apart from taking action against the conductor and driver, said T. Selvaraja.
