Ranchi district administration has approved five designated retail cluster sites and one wholesale hub for Diwali firecracker sales, creating a centralised system for licensed trade from November 4 to 8 and restricting sellers to certified green crackers.
The five retail locations are Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, Bariatu Housing Ground, Shastri Ground in Chutia, Seth Sitaram Ground in Doranda and the site opposite Harmu Kali Ground. Temporary wholesale outlets will operate at Morabadi Ground, which officials and dealers said would serve bulk buyers, small vendors and traders from Ranchi and nearby areas.
Yogesh Kumar of local wholesale fireworks firm Trade Friends said Morabadi Ground would make it easier for small vendors to purchase products before Diwali. He said traders from nearby places regularly come to Ranchi to buy fireworks for their temporary businesses and could use the designated wholesale site if it remained accessible.
The cluster model is intended to bring temporary retail activity into identified locations rather than allowing scattered stalls across the city. Shayan Zafar, president of the Chotanagpur Fireworks Dealers Association, said centralised sale points would help manage festive crowds and reduce safety risks. According to Zafar, about 1,200 vendors receive licences each year to establish temporary shops at designated locations.
The administration’s licensing conditions require traders to obtain a no-objection certificate from the fire service department and comply with safety measures at every stall. These include keeping buckets of sand and water, fire extinguishers and heavy blankets readily available. Testing or bursting fireworks within 50 metres of the stalls is prohibited.
Only certified green crackers may be sold under the stated licensing rules. Zafar said wholesale dealers would not supply products to traders without valid district administration licences, since both the wholesaler and the retail vendor could face action. He added that dealers were informing traders about mandatory safety standards and regulatory requirements.
The arrangement faced a brief dispute after Ranchi Municipal Corporation issued notices on Friday night barring stalls outside Jaipal Singh Munda Stadium, stating that the property belonged to the civic body and warning of legal action. The matter was later described as a misunderstanding. On Saturday, Deputy Commissioner Manjunath Bhajantri said the issue had been resolved.
The approved locations, licensing conditions and fire-safety requirements will govern temporary retail and wholesale activity during the November 4-8 sales period. Vendors will be required to operate under the permissions issued by the district administration and the applicable fire-service conditions.
