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.