The Supreme Court on Tuesday took note of a Hindustan Times report exposing the open sale of conventional and unauthorised firecrackers in Delhi markets despite restrictions imposed by the court a day earlier, asking the Centre, Delhi government and police to take all necessary measures to prevent violations.
A bench of justices MM Sundresh and Prasanna B Varale referred to the November 3 HT report, which documented firecrackers being openly displayed and sold in several markets, with conventional crackers allegedly being supplied on demand and products carrying questionable QR codes being passed off as green firecrackers.
“In today’s report on Hindustan Times there is a photograph. They say that notwithstanding yesterday’s order, now everything is available in the (firecracker) shops. Please look into it,” the bench told additional solicitor general Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, Delhi government and the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).
Referring to the news report’s account of the availability of different varieties of firecrackers, the bench added: “They say that in the market every other cracker, licensed, unlicensed, QR code, or no QR code, everything is available. Please take a note of it.”
The bench asked the law officer to look into the matter and ensure that the necessary measures were taken, bringing the focus back on the enforcement machinery even as the court had relaxed its blanket prohibition on firecrackers for a limited period around Diwali.
The HT report
The HT report, based on visits to major markets on October 22 and November 2, found firecrackers being sold openly in Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar, Shastri Nagar, Sarojini Nagar and New Friends Colony, among other places. Vendors were displaying products labelled “green crackers”, “pollution-free” and “zero pollution”, while conventional firecrackers were reportedly available on request, often from concealed stocks or nearby warehouses.
The report also found that several boxes did not carry QR codes mandated by the court, while some codes redirected customers to online catalogues rather than enabling verification of the product’s certification. In some instances, vendors allegedly kept conventional crackers out of sight and brought them out when customers asked for them. In Chandni Chowk, a seller even advised a customer looking for bigger fireworks to visit Sadar Bazaar, saying everything was available there.
The report highlighted the contrast between the court’s detailed safeguards and the situation on the ground, with street vendors and shopkeepers openly displaying firecrackers even before the permitted sales window began. It also documented sellers accepting advance orders for home delivery, despite the court’s prohibition on online sales.
SC permits sale of green crackers for few days
Bureau Report
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