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The Virudhunagar district administration of Tamil Nadu has ordered to close down 70 firecracker units in the district for grave violations of safety rules. The special teams constituted by the district collector conducted a series of inspections on these units since July 2021 and have ordered the closing down of those units which have violated the laws.

Several people have lost their lives in the mishaps in the firecracker units including children who worked there to support their parents. This led to the crackdown on the units and those found violating the stipulated permissions were ordered to shut down.

Virudhunagar's district collector, J. Meghanath Reddy in a statement on Monday said that several firecracker units that were violating the rules were ordered to shut down and the teams are on the lookout for more units. The statement said that the district administration is to streamline the functioning of these firecracker units and to prevent further mishaps which lead to loss of lives and maim people for life.

The statement said that the teams had conducted inspections at 758 firecracker units in the taluks of Sivakasi, Vembakottai, Sattur, Virudhunagar, Rajapalayam, Srivilliputtur and Aruppukottai. The units that were found violating safety norms were kept under suspension and locked. The statement said that of these 49 units that were given notice, rectified the problems on safety norms, and were allowed permission to function.

Notices were issued to 116 units where safety rules were not met and six cases were booked under Indian Explosives Act, 1884 for illegally making crackers at homes and illegally packing fireworks at shops.

The collector in the statement said that the monitoring teams are reconstituted every week to prevent nexus between the inspectors and the firecracker units. The heavy work load of the inspectors is another reason for changing teams every week, the statement said.