19,000 kg of firecrackers seized in enforcement drives, says Gopal Rai

Delhi government enforces firecracker ban, seizes 19,005 kg of firecrackers, while shoppers rush to buy low-intensity ones in markets.

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday said 19,005 kg of firecrackers have been seized in multiple raids across the city.

He said that the firecrackers were seized by 300 teams of Delhi Police and 77 teams of the Revenue Department. The enforcement agencies have registered 79 cases against the violators, the Minister also said.

Mr. Rai made the comments after chairing a review meeting with officials of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee and the police on the ongoing drive to enforce the firecracker ban.

The Delhi government had on October 21 notified a blanket ban on the sale and use of firecrackers till January 1, 2025 to prevent the likely deterioration of air quality during the winter.

Meanwhile, shoppers are thronging Sadar Bazar, one of the largest wholesale markets in the city, in a last-minute rush to buy firecrackers.

Smaller firecrackers, with names like ‘lehsun bomb’, ‘wonder bomb’, and ‘maachis bomb’, are easily available in the market and cost anywhere between ₹100-250. They are also sold by hawkers. One could spot at least 20 of them selling the low-intensity ‘bombs’ on the streets.

However, several shopkeepers said the business has gone down after the imposition of the ban. “Customers are now buying firecrackers from U.P. and Gurugram, where they can find shops that sell these at nominal rates,” said a shopkeeper.