Market code: Green ‘bachchon ka’, banned crackers ‘badon ka’; buyers lapping up illegal stock across Delhi-NCR | Noida News
NEW DELHI/NOIDA/GURGAON: As the legal sale of green firecrackers opened Saturday, crowds thronged markets, examining and bargaining, reviving a pre-Diwali ritual that was paused in recent years because of ban. However, conventional crackers, far more numerous and easily available than the green ones, were selling freely across Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurgaon, flouting SC orders.TOI reporters who went across NCR found certified green crackers, known by their QR codes with licensing details, were available in the main markets, but so were banned conventional crackers with green labels and fake QR codes and many more variants – like the highly polluting rockets and bombs – that did not even bother with a greenwash. Roadside stalls did not have green crackers.
At Old Lajpat Rai Market, Bhagirath Palace, Dariba Kalan and Sadar Bazaar in Delhi, sellers managed both crowds and illicit trade deftly. Crackers were hidden under makeshift covers to avoid detection, and code words such as “bachchon ka” (for kids) and “bada” (big) were used to distinguish between green and conventional crackers. Delhi had issued 168 licences for green crackers.Some vendors claimed to sell only permitted varieties, while others did not shy away from mentioning “special” stocks, which meant the banned varieties. “You’ll only find the ones labelled green near the gate. If you go deeper into the market, you will get all kinds of crackers there,” a seller in Old Lajpat Rai Market said. Several stalls placed an array of rockets and flowerpots on the front shelves to catch customers’ attention, all stamped with fake green logos. Dealers said online trade has been on for days, with conventional crackers being sold through social media and delivered at home. Oblivious to green and non-green, codes, labels and certifications, the chatter at markets was about finding the right varieties. There were people who went back with cartons and suitcases stuffed with ‘sutli bombs’ and ‘chatar patar’.Parmjeet Singh Pamma, president of the Sadar Bazar Bari Market Traders’ Association, said they had been actively assisting police in tracking down illegal sellers and had deployed their own vehicles for inspections. At Chandni Chowk’s Bhagirath Palace, a 28-year-old resident of Ramesh Nagar faced a dilemma while shopping for his children. “I don’t think the ban should have been lifted. Delhi’s pollution is horrible. But I like celebrating the festival with my kids,” he said. Asked about the open sale of polluting crackers, a Delhi govt official said, “Delhi govt has deployed 33 teams led by SDMs across the city to ensure strict compliance with Supreme Court guidelines. These teams have been conducting regular inspections in markets and other public areas to monitor violations.”In Noida’s Atta Market, Nagendra Kumar, a year-round utensil seller-turned-seasonal firecracker vendor, when asked about the authenticity of his stock, said, “Can anyone manufacture special formula green crackers within a week?” Although his stocks carried the ‘CSIR-NEERI-India’ logo, they were fake because there were no QR codes. “I paid the required fees for this stall,” he said. In Ghaziabad’s Indirapuram, shops lined the roadside in front of Makanpur, offering a wide range of conventional crackers to buyers. Though Saffiuddin, a trader, claimed his products were green-certified and sourced from major manufacturers in Tamil Nadu, his stocks included both crackers with QR codes (green) and those without. “It’s up to you to check the veracity of the items you are buying. We have been told these are green crackers by the trader who supplied these to us,” said Shahbaz, a street-side seller.“What I’m looking for is crackers that are good and cheap. If I get a box of branded flowerpots for Rs 350 and another that costs merely Rs 150, I’ll prefer to buy an equal quantity of both,” said Neha Agrawal, who was shopping for her children. Strangely, Ramlila grounds in Noida and Ghaziabad, earmarked for legal cracker sales, remained empty till Saturday evening. Gurdayal Singh, a fire department official in Noida’s Sector 46 Ramlila Maidan, expressed uncertainty about their duties as no stalls were set up. “Maybe, the contractor will get the grounds ready by night. Only then will the shops be set up from Sunday morning,” he speculated. Rajeev Narain Mishra, additional CP (law and order), Noida, said all police stations, under which cracker selling points have been allotted, were keeping a watch to ensure that the court’s orders were strictly followed. “Yes, there were some sellers who were found to be selling illegal crackers. More than 40kg of illegal crackers were seized by the Sector 20 police station team. All our personnels are working to ensure there is no violation of the court’s orders,” Mishra said. Gurgaon’s markets mirrored the trend, but here, traditional crackers were sold more discreetly and at inflated prices in areas like Sector 46, Palam Vihar, and Old Gurgaon. Without temporary licences issued this year due to the short notice and lack of applications, vendors concealed their stock among other goods, selling only to trusted customers. “I did not want to take a chance. So, I sold traditional crackers only to those who are known to us and those who specifically asked for it,” a shopkeeper in Sector 46 said. Authorities pledged action. Gurgaon’s deputy commissioner, Nishant Yadav, announced the formation of enforcement teams to ensure only green crackers were sold and urged the public to report violations.Brijesh Goyal, chairperson of the Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI), said illegal sales had dented their prospects. “While all traders under us are licensed, many others had procured crackers illegally earlier because they weren’t optimistic after such a long-standing ban. With more time to obtain licences and source crackers legally, this could have been avoided.”
