Wrapping heaps of cone-shaped sparklers in red paper and trimming lengths of silver fuse by the hundreds, workers at an Indian fireworks factory race to meet orders for Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights.
Authorities regularly impose bans on the smoky pyrotechnics to reduce the hazardous pollution they cause, but to many, firecrackers are an integral part of the holiday's celebrations.
Toxic chemical fumes hang heavy in the air at the factory in Sivakasi, a city in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, the heartland of India's fireworks production.
It is a risky job, with deadly explosions in factories taking place each year in India, but workers say they have little choice.
"There is no other job opportunity in the area", said 49-year-old Rajathi, pausing from the rapid work of sealing explosives in garish wrapping.
Rajathi, who uses only one name, said she did not want her children to follow in her footsteps at a job where she earns up to 800 rupees ($9.50) a day.
Cigarette lighters and mobile phones are often banned inside the factory, where conditions are bare-bones.
Workers, sitting on the floor, dip fuses with bare hands into pots of a silver-coloured mixture.
Others spread glue onto wrappers with their fingers, while others scatter the handmade paper shells of the fireworks out on mats to dry in the sun.
Sivaraj, aged 29, is new to the job.
"I know there have been accidents in the factories before, but I need to work to eat," he said.
Without formal education, he had few options.
"That is why I came to work in a fireworks factory", Sivaraj said, who also uses one name.
Diwali this year falls on November 1, and workers are busy packing boxes to meet the nationwide surge of demand.
The potent chemicals used to give the sparkling explosives their colour and noise add to the deadly toxic haze of vehicle emissions and factory fumes in cities that regularly rank among the worst in the world for air quality.
India's capital New Delhi on Monday ordered a "complete ban" on all firecrackers -- both their manufacture and sale -- in view of the "public interest to curb high air pollution".
But for many, Diwali would not be the same without the colourful and thunderous roar of crackers, and past bans have been widely flouted.
The spectacular and colourful festival celebrates the Hindu deity Lakshmi and symbolises the victory of light over darkness.
The national holiday is marked by the exchange of gifts -- and of course, the setting off of fireworks.
In addition to the usual factory and vehicle emissions, smog in Indian cities this time of year is exacerbated by seasonal agricultural fires clearing harvest stubble for ploughing.
But pollution levels surge even more around Diwali, driven by the extra fumes from fireworks.
In New Delhi, levels of fine particulate matter -- cancer-causing microparticles known as PM2.5 pollutants that enter the bloodstream through the lungs -- often hit more than 30 times the World Health Organization's danger limits.
Prolonged exposure can trigger strokes, heart disease, lung cancer and other respiratory diseases, according to the WHO.
More than seven percent of all deaths in 10 of India's biggest cities are linked to air pollution, according to a study published last year in The Lancet Planetary Health journal.
You may also like
Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti's Documentary 'Turtle Walker' to Premiere Internationally
The best luxury gifts to give this Christmas from cashmere and perfume to homeware
Luke Littler backed to eclipse David Beckham as teenagers net worth continues to soar
Clint Eastwood's 'final film' dealt massive blow ahead of release 'What a dumpster fire'
BREAKING: Yellow weather warnings blanket UK as powerful winds trigger 'danger to life' alert
Boozers beware: Maharashtra orders sophisticated surveillance of 'watering holes'
GMDA to install smart traffic signals at 32 junctions in Gurugram
Indian airlines receive 10 bomb threats in 48 hours, all hoaxes
Amanda Staveley Tottenham takeover truth explained as investment turbocharges Daniel Levy plan
Sunny Deol finds tranquility in the mountains, shares the breathtaking view
IMD issues 'orange alert' in two districts in Kerala
Latest OTT Releases This Weekend: What To Watch On Netflix, Jio Cinema, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar
'My high-protein Aldi food shop helped me lose 20lbs – here's what I bought'
Chennai Couple Earns Rs 1.5 Lakh Per Month, Still Dreams of Buying a House; Internet Calls It a 'Sad Reality
First picture of Brit, 26, who plunged to his death after climbing highest bridge in Spain
Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Highlights Importance of BRI at SCO Meeting in Islamabad
Court grants two days custody of Deepak Boxer to Delhi police
Nayab Singh Saini retained as Haryana CM
PMQs LIVE: Keir Starmer faces grilling from Rishi Sunak as Labour rows rage
"We are here to serve people...": Omar Abdullah asks police to minimise inconvenience during his road movements