On the eve of Diwali, it is a bumpy, uncomfortable ride from Madurai to Sivakasi, the biggest fireworks manufacturing town in India. Rains have come down heavily on the southern districts, exposing the gravel and gaping holes on the roads. The greenery thins as one gets closer to Sivakasi. At first glance, Sivakasi, the name that appears on a million incendiary labels, is no different from any other big town in Tamil Nadu. The main road is crowded, commercial establishments abut on each other. But there are a few things that set Sivakasi apart. The pungent air, thick with dust and pollution, the parched earth, which even the heavy overnight downpour has failed to moisten, and of course the gaudy fireworks shops.

Just a day before Diwali, which Tamil Nadu celebrated on Thursday, the local bazaar is bustling with last minute shoppers, braving the sweltering heat. The months of November, December, January and February are half-heartedly devoted to agriculture as monsoons play truant and the lands remain parched. By March, workers begin streaming into the 600-odd factories strewn across Sivakasi, about 90 km from the famous temple town of Madurai.

As Diwali nears, visitors flock to the town, taking buses from surrounding villages, hoping to buy cheap firecrackers. The vegetable, grocery, and flower shops do brisk business and small eateries and the only big hotel in this town of 72,000 residents, are packed with customers. There is an air of festivity in Sivakasi as locals set off fire displays in the land of fireworks.The town’s appearance has changed little from the time that it was nicknamed ‘Little Japan’ by Jawaharlal Nehru. Bad roads and poor infrastructure continue to plague Sivakasi as the floating population only seems to increase with the years. While the number of licensed factories has not gone up too much, the unregulated fireworks businesses in the 40-odd villages surrounding Sivakasi are thriving. Business, in fact, say fireworks manufacturers, have dulled a bit this year. ‘‘The sales until November 2007 would have roughly grossed Rs 800 crore,’’ says A P Selvarajan, the president of The Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers’ Association and a partner in Sri Kaleeswari Fireworks.

... contd.