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sky-rocket season at Kimbulapitiya, a village living on fireworks While most of us connect this overwhelming sound with festivity, for the residents of one village this is part of their daily life. To the casual visitor, the village is quite ordinary. But look a little deeper and you'll find out why Kimbulapitiya is different. Instead of cool breezes, the smell of gunpowder wafts in the air. Silver-skinned young men are hard at work, not in fields but in small clay huts. Packets of colourful matter carpet the floor of every backyard. Situated in the Negombo district, Kimbulapitiya is home to generations of fireworks makers. An experienced 'cracker maker' claims that the art was first introduced to Kimbulapitiya in the 1940s by a Chinese trader. "Though they taught us the science involved, it was our people who came up with the methods which are used even today," he says. Currently about 500 families are engaged in this business, which is the main source of income in the area. Some of the well-known brands of firecrackers are also manufactured in this area. Many of today's workmen were born into the business and have learnt everything they know from experience. "Nobody has to teach us anything because we have watched these things from the time we were children," says Mala* whose husband owns a small factory. Each house in the fireworks village has its speciality. Kumari and her husband make skyrockets and other fancy fireworks. "We can make fireworks in the shape of letters, names and even symbols," says Kumari. These items are done mainly on orders, for various occasions from weddings to funerals. "They were much in demand during the election period," smiles Kumari. Manufacturing mal vedi is more complicated than the ordinary cracker. While the quantities and types of ingredients are changed, the methods used are also different. Though it takes only a mere second to explode, a cracker takes hours to make. Though all this is serious business more often than not the workers sit on the ground, chewing betel and listening to the radio while carrying out their tasks. While the risky tasks are done by the adults, the little ones help out during their school vacations, by cutting and rolling paper and making gum. Kamal* joined the industry nearly 30 years ago, after marrying into a family which was heavily involved in the business. "At the beginning, business was good," he says explaining that now the income is unpredictable and the profit minimal. He says that purchasing the raw materials is a problem, as they keep getting more expensive. "I spend nearly Rs. 40,000 a month on the ingredients," he says, adding that the quality of the raw materials is also questionable. Once a licence is obtained the manufacturers are able to buy the necessary explosives and chemicals. Most of the paper needed for the production of fireworks is bought in Kimbulapitiya from the townspeople who visit Colombo periodically and purchase the suitable paper in bulk, selling it in the town for a slightly higher price. Likewise most of the other ingredients are also collected from within the village. Marketing their products, however, has become a problem as it usually involves a 'middle man'. "Most of us sell our products to buyers who in turn sell it to fireworks stalls," says Kamal, adding that some of them sell directly to stalls. The problem arises when buyers turn out to be swindlers. "Out of 100 shops, 25 will cheat us," he adds. One cracker is usually bought for around 80 cents and sold for upto Rs. 3. " We can't increase the price because these aren't essential items," he says. Though most buyers promise to pay half the amount when collecting the products and the other half later, many of them do not keep their word. Sometimes the fireworks makers have to go in search of the buyers to get their money. "Since some of them come from far off areas we have to travel long distances to recover our money," says Kamal. The hazards of this line of business have not deterred these villagers. Although no serious accidents have been reported this year, some of the villagers reveal that there have been many deaths and injuries in the past. "It's all because of the carelessness of the worker," says Kamal who feels that smoking at the site has been a leading cause for accidents. "Even a little spark is enough to cause a major accident." Another villager explains that mishandling of explosives is also to blame. "Some of them can explode on their own, because of chemical reactions. You have to be very careful when storing and mixing them," she says adding that her son once injured himself by mixing the wrong ingredients. Lamenting the lack of laboratory facilities to test the chemicals and check the quality of products, Kamal says, "We light and test the crackers to see if the strength and other requirements are okay." A reason for the decrease in accidents is the restriction on the use of potassium chloride, a highly explosive ingredient. According to the Negombo Police no serious accidents have been reported lately, but a police team carries out regular inspections to check on the safety of the products. Though most think that the safety of a cracker depends on the producer, it is also upto the user to safeguard himself, say these producers. "We follow all the recommended safety measures," says one. "Most accidents happen as users try hazardous ways of lighting crackers," says Kumari. "Some people hold on to it for too long and some hold crackers that are meant to be lit from a distance." Though well aware of the health hazards due to constant contact with strong chemicals, the villagers say this is the only trade they are familiar with. "I know it's bad for me but I have no choice," says Anil, his body covered with aluminium powder. "It can be an agonizing job," he says explaining that even little things like the smell can put one off. "I don't like travelling in buses because I know the chemicals make me smell bad." Though he only works four months of the year, Anil says he is planning to give up this line of work in a few years. For others who help with certain stages of the production, it is a much-needed extra source of income. "Lots of women and children spend their spare time wrapping papers and doing other minor tasks," says one villager. The dangers are also limited with such division of labour as explosives are handled only by the experts. How long will the Kimbulapitiya industry survive? In the olden days a fireworks factory would have had around 200 workers. Today's workforce, however, has dropped to around 10 in a factory, because most workers are involved in other ventures and only do it as a temporary job. The decrease has also been attributed to the outsourcing of work. "My children have no plans to continue the business," says Kamal, adding this is the case with most of the village youth. According to Anil most people involved in the industry now are from other areas. Many settlers in the village have now mastered the art. Since fireworks are indispensable during any Sri Lankan celebration, most villagers work only during the festive seasons. With all the extra orders, employers too are glad to hire another pair of hands and during the Avurudu and Christmas seasons, people come to the village looking for temporary employment. Various new concoctions 'come to light' during the season as the villagers let their creativity run free. "Though we specialize in mal vedi during the Avurudu season we make thung mulas and diya eli because they are very popular," smiles Kumari, adding that business literally 'sky rockets' at this time of year. While most children around the country pester their parents to buy fireworks for the festive season, the little ones of Kimbulapitiya are beyond this kind of fascination. "They hate to light crackers," says one villager. Almost everyday you hear at least one blast, as someone tests the quality of new stock. While an outsider would be startled by the ear-splitting explosions, the people and even the animals of Kimbulapitiya hardly flinch.
Use with care Advising the public to be careful in dealing with fireworks, Dr. Weerasinghe said that by creating more public awareness of the dangers involved, accidents had been reduced. 'The situation was appalling ten years ago but last year, the number of cases reported was not more than five," Dr. Weerasinghe said. A
close watch An inspection of the factory is first carried out by the Factories' Inspector of the Labour Department, who has to certify worker deployment. The District Secretary also calls for a police report on the owner. The Assistant Controller of Explosives of the district then inspects the factory and makes a recommendation based on these reports. Governed by the Explosives Ordinance, a fireworks factory has to meet several requirements. The raw material store, the manufacturing shed and the finished goods store have to be at least 150 feet apart. Each manufacturing shed should also be at least 50 feet apart, with half walls and exits to an open-air area. Only four people are allowed to work in one stall. There should also be no electricity supply to any of the sheds and fire-extinguishing equipment must be close at hand. Once the licence is issued, the manufacturer is able to purchase the raw materials from the importer, the State Trading Corporation. Meanwhile, the Assistant Controller of Explosives carries out regular checks on the factory. The licence has to be renewed annually. "There are 89 licensed fireworks makers in the Negombo district, 14 in Kandy, two in Colombo and a few more in other areas," says Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Internal Security, S. Wirithamulla. "There are several specifications for an acceptable cracker," says Mr. Wirithamulla, adding that they are extra cautious about the safety aspect. |
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