Fireworks during Holi festivity in Puri: Police conduct raid after OTV report, firecrackers seized

A major raid was conducted on Nabakalebara Road in Puri where a large stockpile of firecrackers was seized from a puja materials warehouse on Thursday. 

According to sources, the police carried out the raid in the presence of Additional SP and city DSP. The team confiscated raw materials used for firecracker manufacturing. 

The crackdown comes amid rising concerns over the illegal use of firecrackers, especially during the Holi celebration.

Notably, on May 29 last year, a tragic explosion at Narendra Puskarini in the city claimed 17 lives, raising alarms about firecracker safety in Puri.

Despite the previous incident, firecrackers were again used on March 15 (Holi), during the Dolagobinda rituals of Goddess Lakshmi and Saraswati at Narendra Puskarini. However, no official permission was allegedly taken, and neither the district administration nor the police were informed about it.

Following an OTV report on the issue, both the District Collector and SP ordered an investigation into the matter. 

Also Read: No lessons learned from 17 deaths: Fireworks performed at Puri’s Narendra Puskarini 

Earlier yesterday, Puri Collector Siddharth Shankar Swain had made it clear that there is no provision for fireworks during Holi festivity and ordered a probe into the allegation.

He had said that the police would investigate the allegations based on the available video footage.