allahabad this diwali only 20 licensed shops will manufacture fire crackers in mauaima the hub of cracker manufacturing units in the state the decision has been taken by the police in wake of rising fire incidents in the city the police did a survey of firework industry in mauaima and adjoining areas and decided that only 20 legal units will be allowed to manufacture fire crackers in mauaima block and harisenganj localities besides a joint team of the police and district officials will conduct raids to unearth illegal units if any the police learnt that most of the households in mauaima block are engaged in illegal manufacturing of fire crackers these families are unmindful of the risks involved in the trade according to police only 20 licensed units are listed with the district authorities for making crackers in 2009 two big illegal fireworks units were unearthed by a joint team of police and district officials superintendent of police transganga vk mishra told toi that police are keeping a watch on mauaima and teams have been constituted to check the purchase and sale of explosives meant for crackers manufacturing he added that last year the police had seized over 100 explosives being smuggled into mauaima from neighbouring states for manufacturing of crackersas per estimates illegal crackers worth rs 100 crore are manufactured in the region during dussehra and diwali the fireworks industry provides employment to over 10000 people almost every house in mauaima is said to be involved in manufacturing crackers specially during diwaliin the last five years properties worth several lakhs was gutted and three persons lost their lives in explosions at illegal cracker manufacturing units in the citymeanwhile district officials claimed keeping a check on stock registers of crackers manufactures and stockiest further cracker shops will be set in open spaces and cracker units and retail shops should have fire fighting equipment in standby