‘Sivakasi of AP’: Century-old firecracker hub devastated by deadly blast in Vetlapalem

Visakhapatnam: Vetlapalem, where a massive blast in a firecracker manufacturing unit claimed 23 lives on Saturday, is known for its century-old fireworks tradition dating back to the British era. What started as modest production gradually grew into an informal cottage industry, providing livelihoods to numerous families. The village, located in Samarlakota mandal of Kakinada district, is known for producing three crops a year, along with its rice mills and mango orchards, and is equally famous for its firecracker industry. Ironically, the site of Saturday's accident was nestled amid lush green paddy fields. Vetlapalem, also called the ‘Sivakasi of Andhra Pradesh', supplies fireworks for fairs and celebrations across the region, to other states, and even for movie shoots.The village is particularly famous for customised firecrackers, specially crafted for local festivals, goddess fairs, and other traditional events. These include juvvalu, snake tablets that unfurl into ash formations, twisted string crackers (midatha dandalu), sound bombs, rocket crackers, and decorative star showers used during temple festivities and processions. Many of these items are manufactured in varying sizes, shapes, and sound intensities depending on the scale of the celebrations, while select varieties are designed specifically for temple jataras and ceremonial events. The customised crackers often mimic animals or symbolic forms, and some are made to produce prolonged bursts of light and sound for dramatic effect during processions. The manufacturers continuously experiment with various types of fireworks for different occasions.Nunna Srinu, who owns a rice mill in Vetlapalem, said the village regularly supplies firecrackers for all major events across the state. "Instead of seasonal crackers made for Diwali, these units regularly receive bulk orders for weddings, festivals and processions. These activities keep the units and workers engaged throughout the year," he said.Saturday's incident was not the first in Vetlapalem's history, as several minor accidents have happened in the past, including one in 2019 that killed five women. Beyond Vetlapalem, several firecracker units are located in neighbouring villages, including Juvvipadu, Draksharamam, Velangi, Rayavaram, V Savaram, Komaripalem, Bikkavolu, Mandapeta, and other areas. The demand for firecrackers is usually high and traders and manufacturers in these regions work throughout the year.Dandu Srinivasa Rao, temple committee representative of Sri Singaramma Ammavari temple in Mallisala, located about 50 kilometres from Vetlapalem, said the temple sources firecrackers from Vetlapalem for the five-day annual festival every year. "On the first day of the festival, there is a one-hour firecracker display. For this, we get customised crackers from Vetlapalem, including snake-shaped crackers, long garland bombs that burn continuously for several minutes, and sky shots. These crackers are crafted to produce specific shapes, colours, and sequences, enhancing the visual spectacle of the festival. It is truly tragic and unfortunate that so many innocent lives were lost," he told STOI.