New Delhi: In Delhi-NCR, rows of stalls showcasing various types of rockets, sparklers, and bombs are now history. But notwithstanding the cracker ban imposed by the Supreme Court six years ago, you won’t find it tough to get firecrackers, thanks to cross-border smuggling of the stuff.
You can obtain them from the grocery store or a pan shop near your house. Even though the dealing has to be done clandestinely, you can get them even at your doorstep.
Six years back, the apex court prohibited all conventional firecrackers in Delhi-NCR. Only green crackers that do not have barium salts while being produced were allowed. But, there is no effective way to differentiate between a green cracker from a traditional one. And therefore, a blanket ban is imposed every winter since 2020 by the Delhi authorities. But Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are yet to enforce a complete ban, as they allow green crackers to be sold. Resultantly, many traders pass off the conventional ones as green, sticking green labels on traditional crackers and misleading the customers.
Cross-border smuggling of crackers
The ban is limited to Delhi-NCR and those who can take the risk, venture out to neighbouring districts like Hapur, Meerut, and Bulandshahr, to get their cracker stock. These are also delivered home. Cross-border smuggling poses a huge threat to the ban in Delhi-NCR and goes a long way in exacerbating the pollution problem.
Many traders in Delhi-NCR — and even the grocery and pan shop owners — also get their stock from these nearby districts, despite stepped-up police vigilance. There are many sellers who resort to social media platforms to invite the customers. There are several traders who reach out to them through pamphlets and handouts. And the ‘goods’ are just a phone call away. Even a reply to a message on WhatsApp is good enough to procure the stock.
As the demand rises, so do the prices. This time around, the sale of crackers is brisk, and the customers are doling out a substantial amount to ‘have a blast’. But this blast is set to spike the pollution levels. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police contends that it is not be feasible to check every car coming into Delhi at every border, and therefore, they are carrying out random checks and have deployed informers to pounce on cracker smugglers.
