Some environmental groups have written to the state administration's top brass following the Egra blast, alleging the failure of government machinery in stopping illegal firework units from operating in Bengal despite clear judicial orders in place since 2015.

The May 16 blast at the illegal firework unit in Egra's Khadikul village in East Midnapore has so far led to 12 deaths, including that of its owner Krishnapada Bag aka Bhanu.

Biswajit Mukherjee, a former chief law officer of state pollution control board, wrote to the state environment secretary, the director general of police and member secretary of state pollution control board, on behalf of a non-government organisation, Paribesh Academy, saying that his organisation flagged the unlicensed firework manufacturing units time and again. Mukherjee's letter highlighted both the order of the National Green Tribunal dated October 16, 2015, which sought such unlicensed units be shut down, and a list of 15 blasts in such units since then to underline the "absolute failure of government machinery".

His list mentions that at least 40 persons, including children, had died in the 15 blasts in such units.

Sabuj Mancha, an environment platform, also wrote to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that instead of closing down the illegal units, a part of the administration gave clearances to several such units that claimed to make green crackers.

“Neither police nor the pollution control board took any initiative to close the illegal firework units where thousands of children and teenagers are working… rather, they seem to be interested in the continuance of such units bypassing norms,” says the letter signed by Naba Dutta, the Sabuj Mancha general secretary.

Bengal's environment minister Manas Bhuiya told The Telegraph that he had asked the state pollution control board for a report.

The minister also admitted: "It’s a fact that such an illegal practice (running unlicensed firework unts) is continuing in many places...."