Hyderabad: With Diwali around the corner, firecracker traders in the city are witnessing a 20-25% decline in sales compared to the past three to four years as consumers cut back on festive spending. Shopkeepers told TOI that customers who earlier spent ₹2,000-₹3,000 on crackers are now limiting their purchases to ₹800-₹1,000, prompting traders to keep prices unchanged despite rising manufacturing costs.Traders attributed the increase in production costs to higher prices of chemicals and raw materials, compounded by supply chain disruptions amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia. However, the All India Fireworks Association decided against raising retail prices at a meeting held in Telangana.“We do not want people to cut back on celebrations, and our decision is aimed at ensuring that higher prices do not further discourage customers from buying firecrackers,” said Venugopal Bangad of Bhagwati Fireworks in Attapur and a member of the association.“Every year, we would buy more firecrackers than needed, and many would remain unused even after Diwali. This time, we have decided to buy only one or two products from each category. Even the children have become more conscious,” said Arun Prasad (38), who was shopping with his family at Begum Bazaar and spent about ₹1,800 on crackers.Immadisetty Pratap Kumar, general secretary of the Telangana Fireworks Dealers Association (TFDA), said Indian-made crackers use purified chemical formulations intended to reduce emissions.“The industry has made significant progress in adopting greener formulations since 2018, with around 72% of the transition completed,” he said, adding that the remaining 28% is expected to be covered over the next two to three years. He also referred to the role of the Nagpur-based National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) in developing green-cracker formulations.Alongside price concerns, the industry is promoting Indian-made firecrackers and products designed to reduce pollution. Traders said the association had directed its members to sell only Indian-made products, ruling out Chinese firecrackers entirely.TFDA representatives said, “The residue of certain chemicals used in Chinese products to enhance light and sound directly affects the lungs and are equal to smoking seven cigarettes.”Meanwhile, traders added that firecracker sales are not confined to Diwali, with weddings, elections and other celebrations contributing to demand throughout the year.–Weekend GetawayDiwali long weekend sends young Hyderabadis packing for holiday getawaysHyderabad: While families prepare to celebrate Diwali at home, a growing section of young working professionals in the city is making the most of the extended festive weekend by heading out on short holidays. With the festival coinciding with a long weekend, destinations such as Goa, Kodaikanal, Coorg and Kashmir are emerging as popular choices among youngsters looking to take a break from work.“We usually spend Diwali with our families, but this year a few of us from the office decided to go on a trip to Kodaikanal, since we had consecutive holidays. Some of my friends are also heading to Goa and will be back before work resumes,” said Aditi Rao (27), a software professional from Hyderabad.Travel operator Parvinder Singh Khanuja from Trip Tonic said, “The demand is largely coming from younger travellers, especially corporate employees; they are coordinating their leave with the festive calendar.” “While Goa remains a go-to destination, people are also heading on international trips to Dubai, Vietnam and Phuket. Folks, especially newly-married couples, who want to experience snowfall as winter is setting in are heading to Kashmir,” he added.Travel packages being offered during the period range from short domestic holidays to longer itineraries. Some operators are offering four-day Kashmir trips at around Rs 16,999 per person, while Himachal packages are priced at approximately Rs 17,333 for six days. A seven-day Madhya Pradesh itinerary covering nature and wildlife experiences is also among the options being promoted.
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