Workers and traders from the fireworks industry are on a hunger strike in Chennai to protest the ban on fireworks in Delhi.

They plan to continue stage the strike till the day prior to the next hearing in the Supreme Court, which is scheduled for January 22.

K Mariappan, General Secretary, Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers’ Association, told BusinessLine that nearly eight lakh people from the industry have been protesting against the ban from December 23, but there has been no official reaction to it yet. “The protest is an attempt to draw attention to the difficulties faced by the industry,” he added.

The industry has been feeling the heat since the Supreme Court ban on fireworks in New Delhi-NCR prior to Diwali. This had a huge impact on the manufacturers as the Delhi-NCR market accounts for about 30 per cent of total fireworks sale, and North India for about 90 per cent. The judgement dealt a huge blow as demand declined substantially and most manufacturers incurred a loss.

Since December 23, around 820 fireworks factories in Sivakasi district have downed shutters, rendering eight lakh people jobless . The industry, worth ₹6,000 crore, has incurred a loss of over ₹350 crore in the last month, Mariappan said.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court admitted a petition seeking nationwide ban on fireworks. “A team of 15 people met theChief Minister today and submitted the demands. He has been supportive and has agreed to make the State government a respondent in the case,” Mariappan said.

The demand from the industry includes exemption of fireworks from the Rule 3B of Pollution Control Act.

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