Sunday, October 15, 2006 (Nungi, West Bengal):
With just a week to go before Diwali, makers of firecrackers in West Bengal are racing against time and the threat of rains.
It is the fag end of the season at the Shukla Fire Works at Nungi, once famed for its very noisy chocolate bombs until the government banned noise-making crackers.
Unexpected rains in September gobbled up over a month of man-days and now the fireworks makers are in a rush to meet deadlines.
"The rains this year flooded the entire factory and we could not start manufacturing the crackers. Its come as a huge setback to the business," Salil Chatterjee, a firecracker worker said.
Fireworks town
Almost twenty thousand people in and around Nungi are employed in the fireworks industry that primarily produces chorkees, flowerpot and sparklers.
These items make their way to towns in Assam, Orissa Bihar Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. But the rains have caused a shortfall in production of almost 40 per cent affecting the livelihood of the workers.
"We normally get work for about three to four months. But the rains delayed production this year and I have found employment for just two and half months so far," said Anil, a worker.
"I have a family dependant on me but have missed out on earning about four thousand rupees."
Rain or no rain there's no let up in the demand for crackers.
Nungi's cracker sellers have stocked up on Sivakasi products to meet customer demand. They are more expensive than Nungi goods but still flying off the shelves.
"The place is in the outskirts so its cheaper. Something that costs Rs 2000 here can cost as much as Rs 300 or 3100 in Kolkata," says firecracker seller Vikas Kedia.
As Diwali approaches people in Nungi wonder whether it will be crackers or the clouds that will burst the skies during the festival.
With just a week to go before Diwali, makers of firecrackers in West Bengal are racing against time and the threat of rains.
It is the fag end of the season at the Shukla Fire Works at Nungi, once famed for its very noisy chocolate bombs until the government banned noise-making crackers.
Unexpected rains in September gobbled up over a month of man-days and now the fireworks makers are in a rush to meet deadlines.
"The rains this year flooded the entire factory and we could not start manufacturing the crackers. Its come as a huge setback to the business," Salil Chatterjee, a firecracker worker said.
Fireworks town
Almost twenty thousand people in and around Nungi are employed in the fireworks industry that primarily produces chorkees, flowerpot and sparklers.
These items make their way to towns in Assam, Orissa Bihar Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. But the rains have caused a shortfall in production of almost 40 per cent affecting the livelihood of the workers.
"We normally get work for about three to four months. But the rains delayed production this year and I have found employment for just two and half months so far," said Anil, a worker.
"I have a family dependant on me but have missed out on earning about four thousand rupees."
Rain or no rain there's no let up in the demand for crackers.
Nungi's cracker sellers have stocked up on Sivakasi products to meet customer demand. They are more expensive than Nungi goods but still flying off the shelves.
"The place is in the outskirts so its cheaper. Something that costs Rs 2000 here can cost as much as Rs 300 or 3100 in Kolkata," says firecracker seller Vikas Kedia.
As Diwali approaches people in Nungi wonder whether it will be crackers or the clouds that will burst the skies during the festival.