A string of disappointments

While the Supreme Court’s ban on barium nitrate and restrictions on joined crackers have led to a significant decline in production of firecrackers this year, the illegal units have mushroomed, leading to more accidents and fatalities. The coming years will be critical for the survival of the fireworks industry, which grapples with regulatory challenges, shifting consumer preferences, and the need for modernisation, S. Sundar and Sangeetha Kandavel report