Police have busted an illegal firecracker-making unit operating from a house in Barakota village in Odisha’s Jajpur district and arrested a 30-year-old man, after seizing firecrackers, gunpowder and other explosives from the premises.
The operation was carried out on Tuesday night under the Alakunda police station area. The arrested man was identified as Papu Das, a resident of Barakota village, according to police. He was produced before a local court on Wednesday, and his bail application was rejected, said Bibhu Prasad Rout, inspector-in-charge of Alakunda police station.
The seizure included a large quantity of finished firecrackers, gunpowder and other explosive material. Police did not provide the precise quantity of the materials seized in the information available.
The action has brought attention to the safety risks associated with firecracker manufacturing inside or close to residential settlements. Police said manufacturing units are required to operate in open spaces away from residential localities, reflecting the risks posed by explosive materials, fire and accidental blasts in densely occupied areas.
Rout said the police were working to ensure strict implementation of norms governing the sale of firecrackers. The force is also checking whether firecracker-making units have valid licences issued by the district administration, he said.
The licensing and location checks place responsibility on local enforcement agencies to identify unauthorised manufacturing and ensure that permitted units meet basic separation and safety requirements. In Barakota, police said the unit was being operated illegally from the arrested man’s house.
The case also highlights the challenge of regulating small-scale manufacturing activity that can take place within villages and residential areas, where storage and production may occur outside formal industrial premises. The police statement did not specify how long the unit had been operating or whether any accident had preceded the raid.
Police are continuing checks on cracker-manufacturing units and licences in the area. Further action will depend on the investigation and the court proceedings involving the arrested accused.
