Authorities plan 411 temporary firecracker stalls

BENGALURU Ahead of the upcoming festival of lights, the Bengaluru City Police and the Greater Bengaluru Authority have officially identified 83 designated locations across the metropolitan area to host 411 temporary firecracker sales stalls. The initiative aims to streamline seasonal commerce while enforcing rigorous safety standards following joint inspections conducted alongside the Fire and Emergency Services Department. Joint Commissioner of Police for Administration, Kuldeep Kumar Jain, confirmed that authorities reduced stall allocations in specific congested zones based on strict safety assessments. Each approved temporary stall will maintain a standardized dimension of ten by ten feet, with any unauthorized expansion treated as a severe violation of licensing terms. Shortlisted areas earmarked for the seasonal market include Basavanagudi, Mahadevapura, Byatarayanapura, and RT Nagar, expanding slightly from last year’s tally of 390 stalls spread across 79 locations. The administrative application window opened via the Seva Sindhu digital portal on October 27 and closed on October 29, requiring mandatory submissions such as valid GST registration numbers. To ensure complete transparency, officials announced that where applicant numbers exceed available slots, final vendor selection will be determined via a lottery draw scheduled for November 4, rather than a first-come, first-served basis. Official licenses are expected to be issued by November 5, permitting vendors to construct stalls starting November 6 and retail crackers from November 7 through 10. Law enforcement has implemented stringent screening protocols. Applicants who submitted improper documentation in previous years have been blacklisted and will face immediate rejection. Police teams will conduct thorough pre-licensing and post-licensing inspections, warning that violators caught breaching safety norms or operating outside designated areas will face heavy penalties, blacklisting, and potential criminal prosecution. Furthermore, city police are stepping up technological surveillance by deploying over one thousand artificial intelligence-enabled cameras across strategic urban sectors. These smart systems are programmed to detect unusual thermal spikes, heavy smoke plumes, and crowd congestion in real-time, building upon successful trials from last year that flagged post-ten-p.m. violations. Authorities will also actively monitor cyberspace and social media platforms to crack down on illegal online firecracker vendors.