Illegal firecracker sale tightens grip on Delhi

Three days before the Supreme Court’s permitted three-day sale window for “green firecrackers” officially opens on October 18, Delhi’s markets are already crackling with the sound and colour of the banned goods.

Across the Capital and its satellite towns, traders and street vendors are openly selling firecrackers – traditional and of the so-called green variety –with little fear of scrutiny, and to heavy demand.

An on-ground spot check by HT across key markets in Delhi – Sadar Bazar, Jama Masjid, Naya Bazar, Lajpat Nagar, Netaji Nagar, and Greater Kailash – and parts of Gurugram and Noida found that the court’s guidelines are being flouted in plain sight. Crackers are being sold under the guise of being “green,” a label often printed casually on the packaging to mislead customers.

In market after market, vendors displayed boxes marked “Green Crackers,” “Pollution Free,” “Eco-Friendly,” or “Go Green.” Phuljhadi (sparklers), chakhri (ground spinners), anaar (flowerpots), ladi (bomb garlands), sootli bombs (“atom” bombs) as well as tiny firecrackers like colourful matches and “impact stones” – the markets offered a plethora of options, priced between ₹20 and ₹800, provided you know where to find them.

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Almost none of these, however, bore the mandatory QR codes from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) or the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), which certify a product’s compliance.

Of the dozen different types of firecrackers HT purchased, only two were actually “green firecrackers”. To be sure, even “green crackers” are not supposed to be sold till at least Saturday, according to the Supreme Court order.

When asked about the difference between conventional and green crackers, one vendor outside Jama Masjid’s Gate No. 3 said confidently, “It’s written on the box – see, ‘Green Revolution’. These don’t cause pollution.” His stall was surrounded by children begging him to light a few for demonstration.

Nearby, another vendor, barely 20, stood in the middle of a crowded lane holding a large blue bag filled with boxes. “One box for ₹200 only!” he shouted as he moved through the crowd.

A few steps away, around 20 vendors were openly selling firecrackers in front of the Jama Masjid police station, Meanwhile, shop actually licensed to sell firecrackers in the same lane – barred from sales until October 18 – waited for their turn to open. “The ban is lifted, sales will start in two or three days,” said one elderly shopkeeper sitting inside an empty shop.

Fake labels everywhere

Almost everywhere HT reporters visited, they found that packaging was being used as camouflage. Vendors claimed legality by merely slapping “eco-friendly” or “green” labels on the boxes. Some even went a step further, printing fake NEERI logos or QR codes that led to random web pages or promotional YouTube videos.

At one stall in Netaji Nagar, a father-son duo sold a wide range of crackers they claimed were all “green.” On inspection, none had valid certification. “We got these from a supplier in Gurugram,” the son said, adding that demand had surged in the past week. “We keep the bigger ones inside – sutli bombs, atom bombs. Those are not displayed.”

When asked if he knew those were banned, he laughed. “Everyone sells them. Police also know. They pass by, see the stalls, but no one stops us.” He admitted he didn’t have a license.

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At another market in Lajpat Nagar, a makeshift stall had a few small boxes on display. “Only green firecrackers for children,” the shopkeeper claimed, showing packets of phuljhadis and chakris. Again, none of these bore QR codes.

He later revealed a concealed slab under the counter stacked with bigger fireworks. “We brought these from Jaipur two months ago. Everyone sells; no one has stopped us,” he said.

In plain sight

The violations are widespread and often conducted in full view of authorities. In Old Delhi, where firecracker trade has thrived for generations, entire stretches of lanes in Sadar Bazar and Jama Masjid were buzzing with activity. Boxes of ladi bombs, anar fountains, and chakhri wheels changed hands briskly.

Despite the supposed vigilance, there was no visible crackdown. Many vendors said they had seen police patrols pass through but were never questioned.

In Greater Kailash, some shops claimed they were only selling “noise makers” and “pop crackers,” describing them as “eco-friendly.” The boxes had no QR codes, only bright stickers that read “Pollution Free” and “No Fireworks.” “We don’t want trouble,” said a vendor in GK-1. “Real green crackers are hard to find. Only wholesalers in Hisar have them.”

A similar scene played out in CR Park and Sarojini Nagar. Vendors sold from carts, moving between lanes or metro exits, keeping their stock hidden in bags or under tables.

“I don’t know what’s legal and what’s not,” said one seller near Sarojini Nagar Metro station, pulling out a box labeled Original Wonder-Big Sound, stamped with a small green sticker. “These are green crackers – made of dust and eco-friendly material. My friend brought them from Noida.” The box carried no certification.

A missing crackdown

The Supreme Court’s October 15 order allows only certified “green crackers” to be sold between October 18 and 20 – a measure intended to balance Diwali festivities with Delhi’s worsening air quality. But on the ground, there’s little clarity – and even less enforcement.

For one, few vendors know what constitutes a green cracker. Most repeat what they’ve heard from suppliers: that a green label or a “pollution-free” tag makes it legal. Even the shopkeepers who are aware of the certification process say they can’t access these products easily. “The government talks about green firecrackers, but we don’t know where to buy them. No one has come to tell us,” said a vendor in CR Park.

Shops in prominent markets in Gurugram and Noida were similarly seen flouting the ban on sale of crackers. In Noida’s Sector 18 market, vendors were already selling firecrackers under the guise of them being “less harmful”. On sale were all the usual variety. “We don’t keep big bombs or heavy fireworks. Just small items for kids. Still, we are not being allowed to sell,” he said.

Across Gurugram, rules were being flouted with equal impunity. During HT spot checks, markets in Sector 31, Sector 46, South City 1and 2, Sector 56, Sector 10, Palam Vihar, Badshahpur and Sushant Lok 1 and 2, were found selling banned crackers, often concealed in sacks under makeshift tables or behind display counters stocked with items such as diyas, lights, and decorative candles.

Despite clear court directions, enforcement agencies appear slow to act. Police officials stationed near several of the busiest markets said they hadn’t received specific instructions about inspections.

Experts said the lack of proactive enforcement renders the court’s orders meaningless.

“We have seen even when green firecrackers were allowed in the past, that conventional firecrackers were being burst. QR codes did not help and agencies simply turned a blind eye,” said environmental activist Bhavreen Kandhari.

Other environmentalists said that people do not go for “QR coded” packs and simply pick what’s available in the market.

A DCP level officer told HT, “We can’t tell our staff to conduct raids immediately as we are also learning about the green crackers and it’s certification. They can’t differentiate between conventional and green crackers. It will take some time but we have already held meetings and are briefing our staff. Soon, all markets and shops will be checked. We will ensure SC guidelines are followed.”

Additional commissioner of police Sanjay Tyagi said that the Delhi Police will ensure compliance with the Supreme Court orders.

Environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also said the police were directed to “crack down on all crackers that are not green”.

At the heart of it, though, lies Delhi’s unwavering appetite for fireworks. For vendors, Diwali is the biggest business opportunity of the year. For families, especially children, it remains tied to tradition. The Supreme Court may have opened a narrow window for “green” celebrations, but in Delhi’s markets, that window has already been flung wide open — with the rules having gone up in smoke.