With their losses projected to run into crores, wholesale firecracker dealers in New Delhi see their Deepavali going up in smoke.
The Supreme Court on Monday dealt a blow to dealers in the walled city of Delhi, banning the sale of fireworks until October 31.
The news travelled fast through Sadar Bazar and Jama Masjid, the two famous markets in the Old City, with shops piled high with crackers, ranging from sparklers selling for ₹20 a stick to powerful bombs going up to ₹1,000.
“All dealers across the NCR have been affected. The ban was imposed in 2016 and lifted temporarily 20 days ago. Now, what will we do with our stocks? Crackers worth crores will go waste,” said Amit Jain, who sells firecrackers in Jama Masjid.
Shopkeepers at Sadar Bazar have threatened to go on strike and say they will not follow the order. “We can’t sell in shops, so we will sell on the pavement if nothing happens,” Mr. Chhabra said, addressing a crowd outside his shop.
“They have revoked the old ban only to bring it back. What do we do with the crackers we bought,” he said.
