Mumbai: Shopkeepers are disappointed that the sale of firecrackers in Mumbai and Thane has reduced drastically. Sale has reduced by nearly 60 per cent so far this Diwali and shopkeepers are unable to pinpoint any reason except for the rise in programmes educating people about an environmentally-friendly Diwali. 

Several retailers in Mumbai claim to have suffered losses because of increased awareness among people about an eco-friendly Diwali sans firecrackers which create noise and air pollution. Some others however claim that the increase in rates due to GST is the reason for sluggish demand in the market.

According to Masjid Bunder-based retailer, HB Sakarwala and Company, “We are facing so much loss this time. The sale of crackers has gone down to the extent that we have closed our wholesale shop and are only handling our retail shop. This time, it is very difficult for us to sell both small and big crackers. People who came to us to buy crackers in bulk could not do so because of the high rates.”

Jagjit Ahuja, one of the big firecracker dealers in Thane, said, “We have crackers worth crores of rupees stored in our godown. This time, it is a really bad situation for us and we are almost going to cry. Our regular customers are buying crackers but not in bulk as they did earlier. Nearly 60 per cent of the 

firecracker business is facing losses. Till the first day of Diwali, we used to sell crackers worth `1 crore but this time we have hardly crossed the `30 lakh limit. No one can pay for our losses — neither the government nor the citizens.”

Sharad Vyas, who has his stall in Dadar west, said, “We have spent so much money on licenses for sale of firecrackers. We thought we would recover it through sales but sadly, this year, Diwali is not for us!”