'Poor footfall at Bazi Bazar; green cracker demand yet to pick up pace'

kolkata: After a 'subdued' business for the last two years due to COVID-19, fireworks traders in Bengal are keeping their fingers crossed for the Diwali festival this time even though demand for green firecrackers is yet to pick up.

They have not witnessed any sales traction due to several factors, including the government's decision to allow only green fireworks and threatening of a cyclone during the Kali puja this year, said a functionary of a bazi bazar' organising committee here. Compared to a daily footfall of 2,000-2,500 in the Tallah Park Bazi Bazar in the pre-COVID Diwali seasons, the same has been around 1,000-1,500 from its opening on October 20, he said.Around 44 stalls have been put up here, and each stall, on an average, is registering Rs 1 lakh sales every day, down from a daily turnover of Rs 2 lakh in 2018-19, Tallah Park Green Bazi Bazar Treasurer Sarojit Awon said. "We are only selling green firecrackers certified by central agencies which have

expertise to decide which fireworks follow the prescribed norms," he added.