‘Cold’ fire crackers in demand this Deepavali

It seems to be the subtle way to go: this Deepavali, one can get noticed without making a noise by taking a cue in real life from the film set. They are cold fire crackers, or crackers that don’t emit a sound, but only quietly sparkle. Production units in Kollywood use them against a backdrop of song sequences while they have their uses at award functions too. Now, they are finding their way into the rather more down-to-earth arena of the wholesale market and being snapped up by families with small children and animal lovers.

Even Thoppu ND Venkatachalam, Minister for Environment, had a noiseless agenda in mind when he made an appeal for a pollution free Deepavali. It resonated with a number of citizens who want to celebrate the festival without adding to the sound and air pollution, his namesake, Venkatachalam, a wholesale dealer of firecrackers, being a case in point. He said that he had heard about the rapid sales in cold crackers from other dealers in Delhi and UP which inspired him to start selling them here too.

“I heard from other dealers that soundless, smokeless crackers, which we supply to film units, were in demand in the retail market as well. That is when I decided to start stocking these crackers. I sold my entire stock on the first day itself,” he says. The demand for them has increased so much that dealers are seeking supplies from UP to cater to the urban market. Environment lawyer KP Gnanavel is of the opinion that these crackers are a better option as there is already a court ruling in place, banning the firing of high decibel crackers after 10 pm. “These fireworks are also much more environment friendly and will not damage property either,” he says.

Chartered accountant N Sivasankar, who has six-year-old twins, has opted for cold crackers this year. “I had not heard of this kind until now. I was hesitant to buy the regular kind because I didn’t want my daughters to get scared, but now they can play without my having to worry that they will get scared or burnt,” he says with relief.