Permanent fireworks shop safety norms cannot be insisted on for temporary festival licences, Kerala High Court holds

17 October 2026

Justice G. Girish held that the amended requirements of Rules 83 and 86 of the Explosives Rules, 2008 cannot be insisted upon while deciding an application for a temporary fireworks shop licence.
The court read Rule 84 as the provision that governs temporary licences, and noted that sub-rule 7 of Rule 86 speaks of an existing fireworks shop, which points to permanent shops.
The petitioner, a seasonal fireworks seller, had approached the District Collector, Thiruvananthapuram, who referred the application to the Tahsildar, the police and the fire services to check compliance with the amended rules.
The authorities were directed to decide the temporary licence application without applying the Rule 86 amendment requirements.
The case is Prasanth K. v. the District Collector and Another, reported as 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 584.