A blanket ban on crackers in many states and a Supreme Court order on the use of barium in crackers has hit the production of fireworks in Sivakasi ahead of festive season.
Workers at Sivakasi's fireworks manufacturing unit continue to toil despite the fear of factory explosions. A total of 70 units were closed over violation of safety norms after explosions in recent times.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has written to his New Delhi counterpart, Arvind Kejriwal, urging him not to impose a blanket ban on the sale of firecrackers that fall within the permissible norms.