This archive report was first published on 25 October 2019.
As India prepares to celebrate the Hindu festival of lights, Diwali, this weekend, the country's firecracker industry is facing an uncertain future.
For years, the industry has been a major contributor to India's pollution problem, with millions of firecrackers being set off during Diwali, combining with other emissions to turn the air of India's cities into a deadly, sickly yellow cocktail.
However, in a bid to reduce pollution, India's top court ruled last year that only 'green crackers' that emit fewer pollutants could be used. While some manufacturers have switched to producing these eco-friendly firecrackers, many are struggling to cope with the change.
According to D Mathan, director of Lima Fireworks, one of the largest manufacturers in the Sivakasi district, production at his company has plunged almost 60 percent this year.
"Usually after Diwali the people come to us and place orders for the next Diwali and even give some advance payment," Mathan said. "It didn't happen this time around."
The industry, which is the biggest local job creator in the Sivakasi district, directly or indirectly employs hundreds of thousands of people, many of them uneducated women. Now, many of these workers are facing an uncertain future.
"Some people migrated to other jobs like daily wage labourers, farm labourers and construction workers," Arvind Kumar, a factory employee in the district, said.
Despite the challenges, some producers are optimistic about the future of the industry. G Karuppasamy, a 65-year-old Sivakasi firecracker shopkeeper and wholesaler, believes that the government should not clamp down on the industry.
"Authorities talk about pollution but we don't pollute much compared to others. And one day doesn't make a difference for the rest of the year," Karuppasamy said.
"The government shouldn't clamp down on us. Everyone in a 30-kilometre (20-mile) radius is dependent on this sector. Sivakasi's existence isn't possible without this sector," he added.
