Vijayawada Collector urges for safe, environment-friendly Deepavali

NTR District Collector G. Lakshmisha on Saturday said that safety should be given the top priority, and both public and traders should act responsibly to ensure a safe and environment-friendly Deepavali.

Reviewing arrangements for the firecracker shops with other district officials from the Revenue, Police, and Fire Departments on the eve of Deepavali, Mr. Lakshmisha emphasised that all the instructions issued with regard to the setting up of stalls should be followed in toto.

Within the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) limits, permission had been granted for setting up firecracker shops at three locations – Eenadu Grounds, Sitara Grounds and the Makineni Basava Punnaiah Stadium.

The Collector said the designated premises should have a maximum of 50 stalls, each maintaining a minimum gap of three metres. The shops should be arranged in a ‘U’ shape and located away from residential areas.

The stalls should be made of fire-resistant materials and equipped with quality electrical wiring. There should be no demonstrations or testing of firecrackers on the premises, he said, adding that every shop must be equipped with water containers, buckets filled with sand and fire extinguishers.

The Collector directed officials to establish control rooms at firecracker sales premises, and said safety instructions should be broadcast through public address systems every 10 minutes. Every customer purchasing firecrackers should also be provided with pamphlets containing safety guidelines in both Telugu and English.

Later, the Collector appealed to people to use environment-friendly firecrackers. He pointed out that high-decibel firecrackers cause inconvenience to senior citizens, heart patients, children, birds and animals. He advised people to prefer firecrackers that produce colourful lights rather than those that contribute to noise pollution.

Meanwhile, Regional Fire Officer Ch. Ratna Babu conducted an awareness programme for firecracker traders at Eenadu Grounds near Benz Circle on Saturday.