With just days left for Diwali, confusion continues to surround the location of the city’s main firecracker market as Jalandhar Police have yet to finalise a site, leaving traders and residents in complete uncertainty.
Two sites — Lyallpur Khalsa School ground near Nakodar Chowk and Chara Mandi at Lamba Pind — were initially approved by the administration but faced stiff opposition from cracker traders, who flagged concerns over traffic chaos and safety hazards. Following the objections, the Municipal Corporation had proposed Beant Singh Park as an alternative location, but that too was rejected by traders citing space constraints and accessibility issues.
Now, with only a week to go for the festival, the process has hit a complete standstill.
Though sources say the police have been inspecting Pathankot Chowk -circus ground as possible alternative, no official announcement has been made so far, keeping both traders and the residents in the dark about the next move.
Responsibility ping-ponged between officials
Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal clarified that as per the Explosives Act, the administration issues a No Objection Certificate only after the police finalise a site based on safety checks and clearance. “The site finalisation is done by the police,” he said, adding that the administration acts once the police finalises a location.
However, when the matter was taken up with the police, it turned into a blame-passing exercise. Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur remained unreachable despite repeated attempts. Joint CP Sandeep Sharma said the matter was being handled by DCP Operations Naresh Dogra, who, when contacted, stated that he was on leave and that ADCP-1 Akarshi Jain was overseeing it. Jain, however, maintained that it was not under her jurisdiction and suggested contacting the headquarters. Finally, ADCP Headquarters Sukhwinder Singh confirmed, “We are yet to finalise the site.”
The lack of coordination among departments has frustrated cracker traders, who say their seasonal business is already suffering due to the delay. “Every year, we get approval late, but this time there isn’t even a site yet. How are we supposed to set up shops or arrange stock?” said a trader on condition of anonymity.
“With Diwali around the corner and no site officially declared, the fate of Jalandhar’s cracker market remains uncertain — a telling example of administrative paralysis during one of the city’s busiest festive seasons”, said another trader.