Thrissur: The Kerala government has strongly opposed the central government’s new notification regarding the conduct of fireworks, which could jeopardise the ‘Thrissur Pooram’  festivities. The government maintains that the new regulations could place the ‘pooram’ in a severe crisis. Revenue Minister K. Rajan said that the restrictions outlined by the central government cannot be accepted at any cost.

“If the existing norms are fully implemented, fireworks cannot be set off at Thekkinkad ground in Swaraj Round, Thrissur. The notification mentions 35 main rules, some of which could be accepted with modifications,” the minister said. However, he clarified that five specific conditions cannot be accepted under any circumstances.

“One new restriction states that fireworks must be conducted at a distance of 200 meters from the fireworks storage house. This would make it impossible not only at Thekkinkad ground but even in the entire Thrissur Swaraj Round. The central government passed this amendment while the state government is attempting to reduce the spectator distance limit to 60 meters,” Rajan explained.

Previously, the distance from the fireworks storage house to the display area was 45 meters, with spectators allowed 100 meters away. Under the current restrictions, spectators would not be allowed to stand in the Round while adhering to the required distance of 145 meters.

According to the new amendment, firecrackers can only be set off if the location is moved even further away. Given the many buildings in the area, this is not feasible. Therefore, conducting fireworks during Thrissur Pooram will be difficult under these new regulations.

The last Pooram faced challenges in managing the crowds that rushed to watch the fireworks, which also became a political issue.