Mumbai: Shuddhodhan Bhandare was dejected that he could not find the Bhumi Chakra, Lavangi and some other crackers he had come looking for at Mohammed Ali Road on Diwali day.
The high cost of certain chemical combinations had ensured that crackers with white, blue and green light, that had barium and some other chemicals, were not around because they were banned.
Those that did get made were not around because they were over and were not manufactured in quantities large enough for them to last. Although the fire cracker market saw a jump in production, the varieties were fewer this time.
"Due to Supreme Court order on green crackers, we had lesser variety of crackers manufactured this time. So if 450 variety were being manufactured earlier, this time it was down to 150. However, this does not mean that the actual production was down. There was a 30 percent jump.
"We made 4 lakh cartons of crackers this time as compared to 3 lakhs earlier. Only those with white light, blue light and involving barium did not get produced impacting variety in production of crackers like some anars, pencils and other crackers. In fact, demand was high this time. Ninety five percent stock is sold out as compared to 80 percent that would get sold earlier," said P Ganesan, president of Sivakasi-based Tamil Nadu Fire Works and Amorces Manufacturers Association (TANFAMA), the biggest association of firecracker manufacturers in India.
Shopkeepers said that the white light and other light emitting crackers did get produced, but with more expensive chemical composition and in lesser quantities.
"Making of crackers starts early, and they do not get made when there are clouds, because crackers catch moisture. As cost was high, some did not get produced as much," said Minesh Mehta, honorary general secretary, Mumbai and Thane Firework Dealers' Welfare Association.
"We are sorry that we have to turn people away. The cheaper ones [crackers] are particularly less," said Abdullah Ghia, director of Essbhai Fire Works.
However, there were some who did not mind them not being there.
"Anars are the most harmful. They tend to burst. We have had bad experience so are not looking at it anyways," said Dev Thawani, resident of Khar, who had come to buy crackers for his son.
Crackers were not the only thing that people made a last minute rush for. Goodies, faral and valuables were among other.
"We are here to buy some sweets. We wanted to meet some friends and thought of giving them these. Faral I give what is prepared at our home," said Nitin Gamre, resident of Dombivili, who was shopping in the Crawford Market area, in the vicinity of his office.
Some, like Chetan M, purchased jewellery.
"Diwali tends to give you a good offer. Though I would have purchased it anyways, it did help to take a decision early," said Chetan.
