Prayagraj: Around 731 temporary firecracker shops are being set up at 80 open slots which would be functional from Friday to Monday. The majority of shops are being set up at designated open areas including 17 open grounds in urban areas.
Officials said that “All the vendors and traders have been asked to adhere to 11-point fire safety guidelines or their temporary licence would be cancelled. Besides, the temporary firecracker shops should also be set up within a 25 square metre area and away from residential colonies, educational institutes, cinema halls, auditoriums, hospitals, markets, shops, factories, railway lines, highways, and religious places. Besides, parking of vehicles is also restricted at least 50 metres away from the shops.
“Station officers of all police stations are being directed to keep an eye on those involved in the illegal trade of firecrackers in the city,” cops added. This Diwali , the fire department has preferred to provide temporary firecracker sale licences to those vendors who had past experience of setting up shops for at least three years. All temporary shops should be under a tin shed or asbestos sheet (not using tents or cloth, thermocol, flex, plastic) and maintain a distance of at least three metres between two shops. No shop is allowed under high-tension wire lines. Importantly, two firecracker shops are not allowed to be set up opposite each other. All firecracker-selling shops will be placed under no-smoking zones. Each shopkeeper must have adequate water stock in a drum along with buckets at the shop. Besides, each shop should have an adequate stock of firefighting equipment, including five fire extinguishers, water, and two sacks full of dry sand. Officials made it clear that no minor or person with a history of mental illness will be allowed to sell crackers or sit at the shop. Besides, selling firecrackers anywhere apart from the designated areas will invite stringent police action.