GUWAHATI, OCT 18: The workers of 130-year-old fire cracker industry in Assam’s Barpeta are busy in making green crackers for pollution free Diwali festival.
Due to Covid-19 pandemic, the fire industry in Barpeta faced huge losses. This time, the workers and the industry owners are hoping for a good business.
Gopajit Pathak, president of Barpeta Atasbaji Silpa Samabai Samiti said, “Last two year, the fire cracker industry faced huge losses due to Covid-19 pandemic. But this year we are hoping for a good business but due to skyrocketing price rise, we are facing some issues. The prices of chemical has been rises and some of the chemicals are very costly.”
“We work on quality not in quantity. We try to give best green fire cracker to the people in aforadable price. If we increase the price of fire cracker then people will not buy fire crackers from us. We are working in a low margin,” Pathak said.
He further added, “The fire cracker industry in Barpeta are world famous because, we made green fire crackers with best quality. This time, we are facing some issues due to unprecedented price hike,”.
The fireworks industry in the lower Assam district operates under the Barpeta Atasbaji Silpa Somobai Samiti. About 60 workers are engaged in the five manufacturing units, set up in residential areas.
Ritamoni Pathak, another fire cracker manufacturer said, “We are in the traditional fire cracker business since our fourfather. We made pollution free fire workers and our fire crackers have a good demand in Northeast. Last two years, due to Covid-19 pandemic our business was low but this time we are hopeful to get a good business,”.
In 2019, the Barpeta industry sent firecrackers worth nearly Rs 1.20 crore to the Guwahati market.
Firecrackers manufacturers from Barpeta used to send their products to Bihar, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir.