11/7/2016 Sivakasi:India'sdangerousfireworkscapitalBBCNews

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Sivakasi:India'sdangerousfireworkscapital
23September2012 India

SivakasitowninthesouthernIndianstateofTamilNaduisknownasthecountry's
fireworkscapital.Butfrequentaccidentshaveblottedthetown'simage,reportstheBBC
Hindi'sVineetKhare.

The5Septemberblazeatafireworksfactorythatclaimed38liveswastheworstinrecent
memory.

Insomeofthebiggestfactoryfires,about40peoplediedin2009,30in2001andmorethan60in
1991.Thelistofcasualtiesinsmallermishapsismuchlonger.

Butmorethan700,000workersofSivakasihavenootheroptionbuttodependononeofthe
mosthazardousindustriesfortheirlivelihood.

About2025workersdieeachyearinfireaccidentsinthisindustrywhichboastsofan
estimatedannualturnoverofmorethan$365m(225m).

IndiaisthesecondbiggestproduceroffireworksafterChinaand,manufacturerssay,almostall
ofitisfordomesticconsumption.

Sivakasialsoknownforitsmatchboxandprintingindustriescontributesmorethan90%to
India'soverallfireworksproduction.

Painfulscars

Butthosewhoworkintheindustrycarrypainfulscarsabrokenlegorskull,orahandburntby
explosives,andmanyherecomplainofchronicrespiratoryproblems.

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11/7/2016 Sivakasi:India'sdangerousfireworkscapitalBBCNews
"Inthelast12months,beforethisaccident,22workerslosttheirlivesand50wereinjured,"
saysDrMKathiresan,chiefmedicalofficeratthelocalgovernmenthospital.

Thehospitalhasashortageofstaffandequipmentandhasnosupplyofmorphine,thestandard
painreliefdrugforburnvictims.

Afterabriefshutdownfollowingthe5Septemberaccident,thefactorieshavereopenedandthe
workersareback.

"Wearescared,butwhatelsedowedo,"saidPummeraj,whoisrecuperatingathomewith
extensiveburnsonhisbody.

Theindustryiscriticisedforobservingpoorsafetystandardsandpayingaslowas$3(1.85)a
daytoworkers.

Theindustryrejectsthecharges,sayingitcontributesbyrunningschoolsfortheworkers'
childrenandprovidingemployment.

Theinsidestory
Intheintenseheat,whenalackofbreezemeantitfeltmuchhotterthanthe36C(96F),we
reachedtheVinayagaCrackers'factory.

Thecompany,with"interestsingranite,agricultureandotheritems",isthefirsttoownan
overseasfireworkswarehouseinDurban,itsbrochuresaid.

Behinditsirongateslayavastexpanseofopenspacedottedwithmatchboxlikerooms.

Inside,amongheapsofmaterial,werebatchesofmenandwomenallwithoutglovesormasks,
sittingonthefloor,theirhandsmovingdeftly,eyesfocussed.

Itseemedlikeanopensciencelabwithanarrayofdangerouschemicalsandexplosives.

Thesechemicalsaffectthelungsandmasksmustbeworn,saidafactoryofficial,addingthat
someworkersdosufferfromtuberculosis.

ImetBhawani,amiddleagedwoman,whogreetedmewithacautioussmile.

Hereyeswerefixedonasilveryroundbox,packedwithverticallyplacedrolleduppapertubes
filledwithamixtureofaluminiumpowder,potassiumnitrateandsulphur,andtippedwithmud.

Inanadjacentroom,threewomensiftedthroughgunpowder,whileotherswereinsertingfuses.

"Whyaren'ttheywearinggloves?"Iaskthefactory'stechnicalheadRaviKumar.

"Youcannotworkfastifyoudo,"hereplies.

AnotherworkerNarayanswamy'sheadwascoveredwithaplasticsheetwhilehisbarehands
dippedinasilverymixtureofchemicalsandhisbodyandclothescarriedtheshineofaluminium
powder.

"Whenwestartedourfactoryin1982,mybrotherandImixedchemicalsandfilledthemintubes,
butweneverfacedanyhealthproblems,"saidcompanydirectorPGanesan,ashedismissed
alltalkofdanger.

Butaseniorofficerwiththefederalsecuritywatchdog,thePetroleumandExplosivesSafety
Organisation(PESO),toldtheBBCthat"evenhumiditylevelchangescansetoffachemical
decompositionandavolatilereaction".

'Mistakes'

Alicenseforafireworksfactorycomesthroughonlyafterclearancesfromthelocalpolice,
pollution,healthandotherdepartments,butalackofcoordinationandtheabsenceofroutine
officialchecksmeanmanyfactoriesdonotfollowsafetynorms.

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11/7/2016 Sivakasi:India'sdangerousfireworkscapitalBBCNews
Workersareexpectedtolearnintricateprocedureslikemixingchemicalsandexplosivesonthe
job.

APESOofficialsaidtheirbrandnewtrainingcentrehasbeenlyingunusedforayear.

"Fourofficersareexpectedtomonitorover1,000factoriesandhundredsofotherunits.Howdo
youdothat?"heasked.

Andoften,governmentofficialsassignedtomonitorthefactoriesthemselveslackthetechnical
qualificationforthejob.

Twoyearsago,fourpolicemenandfourgovernmentofficialswerekilledduringaninspection.

"Noownerlikesanaccidentforwhichhewillbeprosecuted,butoneman'smistakemeans
troublefor100others,"saidVRamamoorthy,directorofJubilantCrackersfactory,whoblamed
thefrequentaccidentsonthemanagementand"mistakes"byworkers.

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