In the Harda Blast Case: The factory in Harda where the incident occurred had four licenses. According to Rule 126 of the Explosives Rules, 2008, storing explosive material is allowed only on the ground floor. It cannot be kept on lower or upper floors, but in the Harda factory, gunpowder was being stored in the basement.

An explosion occurred in the Harda factory, causing the ground to shake, and there was a downpour of stones. The main reason was using the basement of the factory like a godown. In the godown, more than a thousand kilograms of gunpowder exploded like a big bomb. It resulted in the foundation of the building collapsing. Debris from walls and roof rained down rapidly up to 400 meters, leading to casualties.

According to information from firefighters involved in extinguishing the fire in the factory, a godown covering an area of 25 square meters should be set up on the ground to store 15 kilograms of explosive material for fireworks. However, in the factory in Harda, contrary to regulations, a talghar (pit) was being used to store gunpowder. The driver excavating the talghar reported seeing yellowish residue during the excavation.

The factory where the incident occurred had four licenses. According to Rule 126 of the Explosives Rules 2008, the godown for explosive materials can only be constructed on the ground. It cannot be placed on basement or upper floors. However, in the factory in Harda, gunpowder was being stored in a talghar (pit), contrary to this regulation.

According to regulations, godowns should be constructed with specified distances in open areas. There should be vacant spaces on all sides to facilitate the dispersal of fumes in case of a fire. However, these rules were not followed in the Harda factory. Despite this, Rajesh Agrawal’s license is renewed every year. The Home Department issues letters to the district collector and police superintendent annually for the inspection of firecracker factories and godowns. However, officials’ attitude towards Agrawal’s factory remained lax.