Illegal sale of firecrackers on the rise in Ghaziabad
GHAZIABAD: Cases of people engaging in illegal storage, manufacturing and selling of firecrackers ahead of Diwali festival have surfaced in Ghaziabad even as the Uttar Pradesh government is yet to issue directions on firecrackers. Ghaziabad police on Tuesday said that teams have been deployed to trace sellers of illegal firecrackers in areas such as Loni and Sahibabad and at least five cases have been registered in different police stations.
Last week, the police registered two different FIRS against four suspects who were found to be in possession of a huge quantity of illegal firecrackers in Loni. The city police said that one suspect was also arrested by the Sihani Gate police and 13 others were arrested by the Link Road police last week along with a huge quantity of firecrackers.
The Loni police on Tuesday arrested Rizwan Ahmad with six bags of illegal firecrackers and other materials used in the manufacturing of firecrackers. The police said that four of his accomplices escaped during a raid at a house in Ashok Vihar in Loni. Most of the cases of selling and manufacturing of illegal firecrackers come from Loni, which houses the firecracker manufacturing hub of Farrukhnagar. Till a couple of years ago, it housed about 200 different manufacturing and conventional firecracker units but these were closed down by the district officials in the wake of court orders, sources said.
“We have formed teams to check illegal sale and storage of firecrackers ahead of Diwali. There are no directions in this regard from the state administration. The firecrackers that we have seized are conventional and not green crackers. We have a list of authorised manufacturers of green crackers in Ghaziabad district,” said Iraj Raja, superintendent of police (rural).
“After interrogating the suspects, we came to know that they procured the raw material from districts such as Baghpat and Hapur and even from cities such as Gurugram. Here, they manufacture firecrackers in small houses. Some people also work as brokers and serve as a link between the buyers and sellers and earn commission. Teams from all the police stations have been directed to take up effective enforcement against those dealing in illegal firecrackers,” said Nipun Agarwal, superintendent of police (city 1).
On the other hand, the district administration last year did not issue any licences for retail sales of firecrackers while citing a state government order, which was based on directions by the courts. “We have only one authorised manufacturer of green firecrackers in Ghaziabad district and six others are authorised stockists. Last year, there were no licences issued for retail sale of firecrackers. This year, we are still waiting for the state government’s direction in this regard. The police have been asked to check illegal sale,” said Vipin Kumar, additional district magistrate (city).
Last year, the UP home department issued an order on October 30, days ahead of Diwali, and cited a Supreme Court order of July 23, 2021. The government order said that if the air quality is found “moderate”, officials may allow the use and sale of green firecrackers.
Firecracker traders said that their business was largely affected last year as the district officials did not issue licences for retail sale of firecrackers.
“Our business has suffered for the last couple of years and this year we decided to meet the state officials in this regard. We met officials in state capital Lucknow recently and urged them to allow the sale of green firecrackers. Despite the ban last year, Ghaziabad residents indulged in the bursting of firecrackers,” said Ashutosh Gupta, president of ‘Footkar’ cracker association, Ghaziabad.“the air quality in the city is already deteriorating even though Diwali is still a week away. The officials have basically failed to prevent instances of garbage burning, traffic jams and other such activities which aid air pollution,” he said.
The Delhi government has already banned the sale, manufacture and storage of firecrackers this season.
Enforcing a ban on firecrackers is also part of the 15-point ‘winter action plan’ by the Delhi government, which was released on September 30, 2022.
Earlier in October, neighbouring Haryana also prohibited the manufacture, sale and use of all kinds of firecrackers, excluding green crackers.