A cluster of 80 shops selling green crackers both for wholesale and retail will come up on Eastern Metropolitan bypass. Senior officials of MSME department, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) and representatives of green cracker manufacturers visited the site at EM bypass on 15 August. Once set up, the cluster will get pan-India clients.
Bulk of crackers come to Bengal from Sivakasi in southern India. Locally, firecrackers are made in Nungi off Budge Budge and are sold through the cracker market set up in the Maidan area. But, most of the crackers do not follow the norms set up by the state environment department.
As a result, police conduct raids and the traders sell the crackers clandestinely. To cope with the situation, chief minister Mamata Banerjee took the initiative for manufacture of green crackers in the state.
The crackers will follow the norm of the environment department and NEERI. A survey conducted by the MSME department revealed that the green crackers will have a panIndia market. It will take more than a year to develop the area and set up the clusters. The green crackers are eco-friendly and will not lead to breathing difficulty