: Barely a few hundred metres from Tuesday’s blast site is Main Qutub Road, one of Delhi’s largest crackers markets. As popular as this market may be among customers, it is a ticking time bomb.
A visit to the market soon after the blast threw up severe violations of the laws laid down for selling of firecrackers. Unlicensed vendors thrived in the area, openly approaching customers with crackers in their hands. As for the licensed ones, their attempts to keep smokers away stayed limited to the message on banners as cigarette shops operated right next to some of these shops.
According to Harjeet Singh Chhabra, president of the Sadar Nishkam Welfare Association, the local market association, there are 70 vendors who have been authorised to sell crackers for 17 days this Diwali season.
“But the streets are occupied by around 300-400 illegal vendors. They sell Chinese products, and follow no safety norms. Even a hawker seen as selling flowers for pooja has crackers hidden under the flowers. Mind you, this entire area is a no-hawking zone,” said Chhabra. As for the licensed shops, Chhabra, who himself owns one, said each of their owners had hired a guard to keep smokers away and to act against anything suspicious they noticed.
The authorised shopkeepers say they keep handy all items prescribed while granting licences.
“All authorised shops keep anti-inflammable items like sand, fire extinguishers and water for emergencies,” said Narendra Gupta, president of the Fireworks Traders’ Association.
