Gurgaon: Over 50 FIRs were registered against people allegedly involved in the illegal sale of firecrackers as part of a crackdown on pollution ahead of Diwali, with several people arrested and large quantities of crackers seized from unauthorised stalls, shops and vacant plots.Police said the accused were selling crackers without valid licences and had set up unauthorised stalls at multiple locations. Cases were registered at Sector 9A, Sector 37, Pataudi and New Colony police stations, among others.According to the police, 36 cases were registered in a single day on Thursday under Explosives Act, and 23 accused were arrested. The cases were registered across four zones, with Manesar recording the highest number at 12, followed by 10 in East Zone, nine in West Zone and five in South Zone.“Fifty-three special teams had been constituted at police station, ACP and DCP levels, apart from Crime Branch teams, to check the illegal sale, storage and distribution of firecrackers. The teams were conducting inspections at markets, shops, warehouses and other suspected locations as part of the crackdown on activities that could violate licensing and safety norms,” Sandeep Turan, police spokesperson, said.In the New Colony police station area, a man was caught with 29.2kg of firecrackers from a house in Arjun Nagar. He allegedly kept the crackers for sale but could not produce any licence or permit.In Pataudi, police caught two people selling crackers from makeshift arrangements along Rampur Road. One was found selling firecrackers from a table outside a shop in Jodi Khurd village, while another was caught selling them outside Hamza Kirana Store near the electricity board. Police seized 14.4kg of crackers from the first location and 12.5kg from the second.In the Sector 37 police station area, police caught a person selling crackers outside a grocery shop in Mohammadpur village, from where 247 packets were seized. Another person was apprehended outside Tanya Parlour near Balaji temple in Khandsa village, with 69 packets weighing around 7kg.Sector 9A police station teams conducted raids at two locations. In Lakshman Vihar, a person was caught allegedly selling crackers from a vacant plot near Mangat Ram Bagri Wali Gali, and 23 packets were seized. At another location opposite Sector 9 church, a person was allegedly selling firecrackers alongside Chinese lights and candles, and police seized 34 packets of four different varieties.At the four locations where the weight was recorded, police seized a combined 63.1kg of firecrackers. Hundreds of additional packets were recovered from other locations. Police said samples were collected from some of the recovered stock before the remaining crackers were sealed.Police seized a variety of firecrackers, including flower pots, colour sparklers, spinning crackers, rockets, chakkars, bijili crackers, sutli bombs and laser crackers. The seized stock included crackers under Cornation, Sri Rajeswari Rangeela, Queen Deluxe, MV Corsair Pacquiao Ultramaa, Colour Paras Sparklers and Azad Laser Red brands.Meanwhile, a ground check by TOI in Kadipur and other parts of the city found firecrackers being sold at different locations as shoppers made a beeline for festive purchases. Vendors said customers often struggled to distinguish between green crackers and conventional ones, raising questions about how buyers could verify the environmental claims made on the packaging.“Whether you buy green crackers or conventional crackers, the noise is almost the same. When they burst, customers cannot really make out any difference. The only visible distinction is the green sticker on the packaging. People are being told that these crackers cause less pollution, but how can an ordinary customer verify whether the product is genuinely certified? In many cases, it appears that the sticker is being used to convince buyers rather than offering them a product that is substantially different,” said a street vendor.Another vendor echoed the concern. “There is no easy way for buyers to judge the difference in emissions just by looking at the packet. Customers are spending money believing that they are buying an environmentally friendly product, without knowing whether the claims are genuine,” he said.Police appealed to residents to refrain from purchasing, selling or storing firecrackers without the required licences and permits, and urged them to report any illegal activity. Officials said the special drive would continue to prevent unauthorised storage and sale of explosive material during the festive season.
