NGT seeks inspection records of all cracker units in Virudhunagar
The directive comes amid a spate of fatal accidents at cracker units. The NGT bench termed the recurring deaths a result of 'systemic regulatory failure' and expressed concern over non-compliance with safety norms. The rising deaths year after year points to gaps in enforcement, the bench comprising judicial member Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member K Satyagopal observed, as PESO and state counsels pointed fingers at each other.
The PESO counsel admitted to widespread violations, including illegal sub-licensing and the prohibited use of mobile phones inside factory premises - a clear violation of Rule 10(6) of the Explosives Rules, 2008, which bans ignition sources like mobile phones and radios within 15 metres of areas where explosives are stored or handled.
So far, PESO has cancelled the licences of 10 units and suspended several others. However, the casualty data remains grim. In 2022, 18 people were killed in cracker unit accidents - 12 in PESO-licensed units and six in units licensed by the district magistrate. The toll rose to 39 in 2023, with 35 deaths reported from PESO units. This year alone, 43 deaths have already been recorded, 42 of them in PESO-supervised units.
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