Firecracker traders take home delivery route to dodge SC ban

Conventional firecrackers are being sold in Delhi despite a ban by the Supreme Court, with shopkeepers at some places even offering home deliveries to evade law enforcement agencies.

Only firecrackers without certain metals that produce toxic gases can be sold in NCR, the court ruled last month, but such products are yet to be manufactured for sale.

A report released by government forecasting agency Safar on Monday said that even if 50% of the amount of firecrackers burst last year – when sales were completely banned in NCR – the resulting emissions create severe pollution for at least two days.

From Chandni Chowk to Trilokpuri, and Mayur Vihar Phase-I to New Kondli, traders were selling stocks on the sly, Hindustan Times reporters who fanned out across markets to check the availability of firecrackers found. Several customers confirmed that small quantities were available off-the-shelf while larger quantities could be home delivered.

“We have to be careful. The market has a lot of police deployment and we do not want to risk getting caught. We can get any quantity of crackers delivered to your doorstep, but here we cannot sell for over ₹550,” said a seller at Chandni Chowk, doing his business out of a store ostensibly selling decorations.

IN OLD DELHI MARKETS, SHOP KEEPERS WERE SEEN ROAMING AROUND THE STREETS IN SEARCH OF CUSTOMERS LOOKING FOR CRACKERS