CHENNAI : Those selling firecrackers in Chennai in violation of rules are liable to be prosecuted and the explosives/fire crackers will be seized, the Madras High Court warned on Friday.

The Commissioners of Chennai Corporation and Police should ensure that fire crackers were not sold or stored during festival seasons without no-objection certificate or licence in any part of the city, the First Bench, comprising Chief Justice A.P. Shah and Justice K. Chandru, delivered an order, disposing of a petition seeking the grant of licence for storing and selling of fire crackers only as per the specifications of the Explosives Act and the rules.

The court directed the Corporation Commissioner to ensure that fire fighting vans were posted on either side of streets, including Bunder Street and Anderson Street, and the cost borne by the association of the dealers of the fireworks. It also suggested to the authorities to consider the possibility of shifting the present fireworks shops from the congested areas to open grounds within the city limits and providing fireworks booth system, which was in operation in Kolkata and Bangalore.

The Corporation Commissioner should not issue licence for sale or storage of firecrackers without clearance from the Joint Chief Controller of Explosives for permanent licence and the NOC from the Police Commissioner for temporary licences.

A safety distance of 15 metres from other fireworks shop or premises used for storage of explosives, flammable or hazardous materials should be maintained. Fireworks should not be sold or hawked on any road or public place and no lien to sheds/stalls in front of the shops allowed.

For the current season, the court allowed the existing licensees of the streets to store and sell the fireworks subject to certain conditions.

The licensees should not store more than 1,000 kg of fireworks at any time. Keeping sufficient number of sand bags in shops, making provision for water tanks and providing one or more fire extinguishers were the other conditions imposed.

The Joint Chief Controller of Explosives was directed to decide all the pending applications for licence within eight weeks.

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