Sales decline after PMC bans bursting of firecrackers in public places

Pune: After a brief spike in firecracker sales over the last two days, the traders and wholesalers across the city recorded a dip in the revenue on Tuesday, barely hours after the civic administration prohibited citizens from bursting firecrackers in public places.
The firecracker traders said the announcement made by CM Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday, confirming that the state will not impose a blanket ban on firecrackers this Diwali, had provided an impetus to the sales.“People are not buying firecrackers now as they are unsure whether their housing societies will also impose a ban. The sales, which was expected to reach about 60 to 70% of what was last year, will now only reach about 50%,” Amarjeet Singh, a firecracker wholesaler and retailer, said. Owner of the Bansiwala Phataka Mart, Santosh Bora, said the ban should have been declared earlier instead of a last-minute order. — Rujuta Parekh