Casualties of cracker ban

“Kuchh nahin hai humare paas. Aap jaaiye (We have nothing on us. Please leave),” a man in his fifties dismisses with a wave of his hand. 

Sitting outside his shop in Sadar Bazar, which has been shut for the past one week, Chander Baldev stares into nothingness, unwilling to draw into any kind of conversation. A banner of ‘Cock Brand Patakhe’ hangs ominously over his head, foreboding a second season of loss this year too. In an October 23 verdict, the Supreme Court brought in riders for sale of fireworks, permitting only ‘green crackers’ as the national capital choked on severely polluted air. 

The bench of Justices AK Sikri and Ashok Bhushan also fixed timing and place for bursting them. Last year, the apex court had imposed a blanket ban on selling crackers in Delhi and its national capital region “to test itself to find out whether there would be a positive effect of this suspension, particularly during the Deepavali period”.

Shutters down

Sadar Bazar houses one of the largest markets for crackers, the other being Dariba Kalan in Old Delhi’s Jama Masjid. For a country that has festivities running all year round, and people obsessed with celebrating them literally with a bang, these markets offer one-stop solution for all kind of crackers, and at any time of the year. Till last week.

Diwali is few days away and Sadar Bazar is bursting at its seams with shoppers buying gifts, decorative items, new household ware, and clothes etc. Traders are doing a last minute stock checking of consignments to be sent to the other states. The market is teeming with activity but for one part of it. 

Manoeuvring through the narrow lanes, Team DNA reaches a cluster of shops-to be greeted with downed shutters. “We closed it few days after the Supreme Court ruling, not sure what to do of the stock that is lying inside. People have approached us to buy crackers, sometimes even offering double the price. It is a good opportunity to recover last year’s losses too but we refused to sell,” says Manoj Khurana, who runs a fireworks shop. 

Sitting listlessly on a worn down chair is his neighbour Vishal Aggrawal who is already mulling new business avenues. “This is the third year running when it will be a black Diwali for us. Our peak profit season has been reduced to nothing. We are not against the court orders but it should have come earlier so that we didn’t buy new stock and waste more money,” a distraught Aggrawal complains. “It is darkness for us on festival of lights. A lot of my supply has gone bad and I was hoping to clear the remaining but it is a no go this year. My losses run into lakhs now,” rues Mukesh Pradhan, another cracker trader in Sadar.

The Confederation of All India Traders is also up in arms against the SC ban on firecrackers, asking it to review the decision. The association sought the court to 'relax' the rules for this time and make green crackers mandatory from next year. Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of CAIT says that stock worth Rs 500 crore is stashed across the city and NCR. “Green crackers are yet to hit the market. The court should allow businessmen to sell traditional crackers this time at least. Lakhs of livelihoods are dependent on this festival,” he said.

The SC has instructed that already manufactured firecrackers that do not conform to the above standards cannot be sold in the Delhi-NCR. While the sale of green crackers is mandatory only for Delhi NCR, allowing other states to sell ‘regular’ crackers, the SC has also ordered enforcement agencies to keep a hawk’s eye on these crackers not finding a way in from the neighbouring states.

Discreet is the way

In Jama Masjid, another year-long favourite jaunt for crackers enthusiasts, all one gets is a firm no from owners sitting idle in front of their shops, empty shelves giving them company. “I have no ware to sell. Thoda bahut bacha hai par bechna nahin hai humein (There is still some left but I do not intend to sell it),” Vikas Sethi who runs a 'family business' of crackers, says firmly. 

Few metres down the road, row of shops bearing various signage of fireworks, have only big locks to give them company. “The shop was open till October 26. Then there was a crackdown by police because of the top court’s orders. So they closed it,” Rajesh Gupta, who sells confectionary, informs about shop adjoining his. Another firecracker businessman has concealed the contact number written on the board, painting it black. “It is a headache to answer calls when one is not allowed to sell anything,” he reasons, refusing to identify himself.

Relentless pursuit, however, yields results, though it is surrounded with a hush. Few shopkeepers mutter how they are being sold 'in black'. Names of Gandhinagar, Jahangirpuri, Janakpuri, Burari, Bawana crop up frequently. “There are few shops in these areas that are selling it. You will have to pursue them that you are genuine buyers,” Sethi offers pearls of wisdom for a successful deal. His friend secretly slips in a card. “Contact me around Diwali. I will definitely get you something,” the man whispers.

In outer Delhi’s Bawana area, where 17 people had died in January 2017 and many illegal factories were functioning, Sethi’s words ring true. A couple of factories have crackers stocked at a different location and only those who wish to buy them in wholesale are being entertained. When DNA approached the man at the factory, he first denied but later revealed that the factory owner has hoarded crackers at another location in Rohini. “Even crackers, which are banned, such as laris and bombs could be made available if you order in bulk,” he advises. 

Not just the locals, but even young children, when asked where one could find crackers, pointed out to a factory in the D block. Locals revealed that after the major fire at the illegal cracker factory, the authorities have become strict but there are may be one or two which are selling them. 

"The owners first put out the utensils and other Diwali related items. As Diwali approaches, they gear up to sell their crackers. They will display it but they do have stock,” says Ram Avatar running a tea stall near the factory.

Confusion galore

It is not just the loss of business that’s worrying them but businessmen are also scratching their heads over green crackers. The SC has banned mixed series crackers (laris), high decibel crackers, and crackers containing lead, arsenic, antimony, lithium, barium, and mercury during Diwali and all religious festivals, New Year celebrations and marriages. 

For the uninitiated, green crackers, which are the only kind of crackers the court has allowed to be sold, are the ones that contain less harmful chemicals. “Does phooljhadi qualify? I think bijli bomb and phooljhadi are green because they do not make much noise,” Baldev says. He does not know that the chemical formulation is such that it produces water molecules which will reduce emission levels and absorb dust. What he and many others like him know is that the manufacturing of the same is still to be started. 

“From what we have heard, the green crackers will be available in the next few years. It is time for us to wind up business till then. I do not think even Sivakasi has that kind of infrastructure to make green crackers,” feels Aslam Khan who manufactures crackers in Farukkh Nagar near Delhi.

It is dusk and frenzy in Sadar is at its peak. Fairy lights adorn facades of shops, the harbingers of Deepavali. Khurana is getting ready to leave home, without switching on the string of decorative lights he had put up around Dussehra. “I have lost my business this festive season too. There is nothing to celebrate. I will now try to sell these crackers in the neighbouring states if that is possible. Diwali has become a bad omen now,” he says wistfully.

QUICK AND SWIFT MEASURES

As Delhi’s AQI worsens, authorities jump in to prevent the capital from choking

FIGHTING AIR POLLUTION WITH SCIENCE

BLANKET BAN LAST YEAR

The average PM2.5 concentration during Diwali and the morning after (12 pm-12 am, October 19-20) was 397 microgram per cubic metre. This was 6.6 times higher than the safe limit and falls under the ‘emergency’ zone

GREEN CRACKERS

Yet to start with production. Being researched and developed by CSIR’s National Environment Engineering Research Institute 

Defined as crackers that have less quantity of ‘harmful’ chemicals

SALIENT FEATURES

Chemical formulation is such that it produces water molecules. This reduces emission levels and absorb dust. Also touted to decrease particulate matter, nitrous oxide and sulphur fumes by 30-35 per cent.

To come in market in next 4-5 years

SC allows two-hour limit to burst crackers. Allows states to decide the timings on their own

Sale of only ‘green crackers’ allowed

TAKING CONTROL

• No items other than Reduced Emission firecrackers (improved firecrackers) and Reduced Emission firecrackers [(Green crackers: Safe water and air sprinklers (SWAS) as prescribed and approved by the Petroleum and Explosive Safety Organization (PESO)] shall be sold and kept in the premises
   
• Categories of firecrackers banned/not permitted by the court: 
  Joined fire crackers (series crackers or laris) 
  Fireworks containing barium salts/lithium/arsenic/antimony/led/mercury 
  Firecrackers which have been manufactured earlier but are non-permissible as per the court orders
   
• Bursting of firecrackers is not allowed in silence zones that is, an area at least 100 metres away from hospitals, nursing homes, primary and district health care centres, educational institutions, courts, religious places or any other area that may be declared as silence zone by concerned authorities
   
• Community fire-cracking should be under-taken at pre-identified areas/fields as far as possible
   
• The fire cracking would strictly be from 8 pm till 10 pm only on Diwali days or on any other festivals like Gurupurab etc, when such fireworks generally take place

(with inputs from Rohan Agarwal)