Visakhapatnam: Despite
public demand to shift  firecracker outlets to safer places in the
city, authorities of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation have
decided to issue temporary trade license to set up firecracker stalls
round Jail Road one of  the busiest  junctions in the city.

The
move will fetch Vizag Corporation  a  revenue of Rs 40 lakh or more,
but at the cost of  ignoring  public safety. Around 290 cracker outlets
will be opened on Old Jail Road and 100 more at various places in the
city this Diwali. The market functions only once a year during the
festive season and attracts  customers from different parts of city and
its outskirts.

Sources in fire
and emergency service department said  that Old Jail Road is  not a
suitable place for setting up cracker outlets as it is a crowded place
and in case of a fire mishap at any outlet, there is a possibility of
great  human loss.

Sources
also said that despite their directions, firework dealers and retailers
fail to adhere to safety regulations such as stipulated space between
shops, fire-proof sheets for ceiling and shops to have  fire
extinguishers  to prevent  untoward incidents during the festival
season.

Speaking to this correspondent, fire prevention
wing of GVMC, M. Sri Hari Jagannath claimed that as they could not find
any other appropriate place to shift the cracker outlets, the Old Jail
Road area is the only available option for setting up the crackers
outlets this year also.

He said that they are chalking out plans
to limit the number of the outlets and keep two fire tenders and two 
ambulances  stationed at the venue at the cost of the shop owners. 
Sources said 400 applications have been received for  license to set up
stalls.