South 24-Parganas DM visits Nandarampur for setting up cluster for manufacture of green crackers
Maheshtala: The ball has been set rolling for setting up a cluster for manufacture of green crackers with District Magistrate (DM) South 24-Parganas Sumit Gupta along with senior officials of the district administration visiting a 8.5 acre land identified at Nandarampur mouza under Maheshtala police station area on Friday afternoon.
“The association of firecracker manufacturers has identified and taken possession of a land of 8.5 acres at Nandarampur mouza. The road space leading to this land is narrow at some places and the association has claimed that they will take necessary measures for widening of the road to at least 12 feet throughout so that vehicles, particularly fire brigade and ambulances, can have seamless movement. If they do the needful, then a cluster for green cracker can be developed here,” Gupta said.
At least 16,000 people under Maheshtala municipality area and Budge Budge I block are dependent on manufacture of firecrackers for their livelihood. “The state MSME department will provide facilities for developing infrastructure like godown space, fire extinguishers, water facilities and other necessary measures for setting up the cluster. Only firecracker manufacturers who have received training from NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute) in green cracker manufacturing will be allowed space in the cluster, as per directions of the Supreme Court,” Gupta added.
According to Sukdev Naskar, spokesperson of Maheshtala Budge Budge Fireworks Cluster Industrial Co Operative Society Ltd, of the 8.15 acres land that has been procured, nearly 3.5 acres is vested land.
“We will initially shift those makers who have received training from NEERI but had been manufacturing and storing firecrackers in their own residences as they have no extra land. Gradually, we will be shifting more units. We are hopeful that we will be able to procure more land on the site,” Naskar added. A similar site for cluster of green crackers has been identified at Champahati in South 24-Parganas, which is another area where thousands of people eke out a living through this business.
