KAKINADA: State government has issued temporary licences to nearly 2,000 traders to sell packaged firecrackers for Diwali across the districts of Kakinada, Konaseema, Eluru, and East Godavari and West Godavari. The government had revoked firecracker manufacturing licences in these districts following a major blast at one of the cracker-making units at Vetlapalem in Samalkot mandal of Kakinada district on February 28, 2026. The explosion claimed nearly 30 lives.
Manufacturers across the Kakinada, Konaseema, Eluru, and East Godavari and West Godavari districts had been hoping that their licences would be restored two or three months before Diwali. But authorities have not approved their applications in this regard. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had taken a strict stance following the Vetlapalem tragedy and suspended four officials on the day of the incident. More than 30 manufacturers had approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking permission to resume production. Various government departments have filed counter-affidavits, citing regulations under the Explosives Act. Manufacturers maintain that firecracker production is their only skill and hundreds of families are dependent on the trade for their livelihood. They have expressed readiness to comply with all safety rules and regulations. Further, they assert that all manufacturers should not be held responsible for the particular accident. With the cracker manufacturing units remaining shuttered, the state government decided to issue temporary licenses to traders, though only for packaged firecrackers. In Kakinada, the firecracker sales venue has been shifted from Mc Laurens School grounds to the new road beside the Government Girls Polytechnic College, as vote counting for local body elections is being held at the school. The prices of firecrackers have increased by 20–30 per cent compared to last year. Traders are worried about sales, as agricultural and horticultural crops have suffered extensive damage, limiting the purchasing power of farmers and agricultural labourers.
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