Green on the box, grey in the air: why a QR code is the only thing between a certified cracker and a fake.

New Delhi, November 6: Days before Diwali, the promise of safer, certified green crackers in Delhi is running into the reality of the market. Reports from Sadar Bazar say many boxes marked “green” carry QR codes that fail to show the details needed to prove certification, while some sellers are steering buyers toward orders outside the legal channel.

The Supreme Court has allowed only certified green crackers in Delhi-NCR this Diwali, with every box required to carry a verifiable code. That rule is the main safeguard. If the code doesn’t work, the safeguard doesn’t either.

Key takeaways

• QR codes are not proving certification. Codes on many boxes in Sadar Bazar reportedly fail to show the manufacturer, registration and test details.
• Sales continue off the books. One major seller was said to have kept a shop shut but shared a WhatsApp number for orders.
• Only certified green crackers are legal. Sale was allowed from November 4 to 6 at designated locations, and bursting only on November 7 and 8.
• The window is nearly over. The sale period ends today, and a complete ban returns from November 9.
• Enforcement has started. Authorities sealed three shops on Wednesday, and police have registered FIRs and seized stock since Dussehra.
• Buyers can check for themselves. Scan the code, and walk away if it shows nothing.

What the Supreme Court has allowed

The Supreme Court’s order is specific. It permits certified green crackers in Delhi-NCR under strict conditions, and nothing else.

The court said there was not enough data to prove a complete ban is the best solution, and chose tight regulation instead. It also ordered police patrols, checks on vehicles entering the region, awareness banners, and daily air quality reports before, during, and after Diwali.

What the reports from Sadar Bazar describe

QR codes that lead nowhere

Boxes in Sadar Bazar carried QR codes and green labels, but scanning them reportedly did not bring up the certification details the order requires. A code that opens nothing, or opens something that doesn’t match the product, can’t do the job it was introduced for.

Closed shops, open orders

A major seller was said to have told a visiting reporter that the shop was closed because of the Supreme Court’s restrictions, then shared a WhatsApp number and said the full range could be ordered at any time. If accurate, that takes the sale outside the licensed, designated-location system the court prescribed. Online and remote orders are not permitted.

Little checking on the ground

At the time of the reported visit, no police or other officials were seen checking shops, even though the market is about 500 metres from the local police station.

These are accounts of what was seen in particular shops on particular days. They do not show that every seller in Sadar Bazar is breaking the rules, and no shop has been publicly found guilty of anything.

What enforcement agencies have done

Action is under way, though critics say it has come late.

• Shops sealed. The Old Delhi district administration sealed three shops on Wednesday during inspections for selling prohibited firecrackers without valid licences. They included shops and godowns in Sadar Bazar and Qutab Road, and a shop in the Jama Masjid area that was found mixing non-green firecrackers with green ones.
• FIRs and seizures. A senior North district police officer said police had registered more than 13 FIRs and seized about 1,200 kg of firecrackers in the 12 days since Dussehra.
• The Supreme Court stepped in. It asked the Centre to look into reports that conventional and uncertified crackers were being sold openly in Delhi.
• Licence consequences. Traders allowed to sell approved green crackers face immediate licence cancellation for any breach.

Why the QR code matters so much

The QR code is the only thing that separates a certified cracker from an ordinary one at the point of sale. Words like “green” and “pollution-free” are marketing. A working code that leads to a registration number and a test certificate is evidence.

The stakes are real. In past years, Delhi’s air has worsened sharply after Diwali, even in years when only green crackers were allowed or when all crackers were banned, with fine-particle levels climbing many times above the pre-festival baseline. Fake labelling makes that harder to control, because the harm comes from what is actually burnt, not from what is printed on the box.

How to check green crackers before you buy

1. Scan the QR code on the box with your phone.
2. Look for five things: the manufacturer’s name, the CSIR-NEERI registration, the PESO or District Magistrate licence, the formulation and the test certificate.
3. Walk away if the code opens nothing, opens a generic page or shows details that don’t match the product.
4. Buy only from designated sale points within the permitted dates. Orders on WhatsApp or online fall outside the order.
5. Avoid loose or unlabelled crackers, and anything containing barium.
6. Follow the hours: 6 to 7 am and 8 to 10 pm on November 7 and 8.
7. Report suspected illegal sales to local police or the district administration.

What happens next

The Centre has been asked by the Supreme Court to examine the reports of uncertified sales, and authorities are expected to continue inspections, sealing and seizures through the final days of the sale window. Any box found with a code that fails verification could lead to seizure and action against the seller. The court will review compliance in December, when affidavits are due, and this Diwali’s outcome, including post-festival air quality, is likely to feed into that discussion.

What to watch next

Watch for further raids and seizures in Sadar Bazar and other old Delhi markets, and for any response from the Centre or Delhi authorities to the court’s concerns. The air quality readings on the mornings of November 8 and 9 will show how well the limits held. The December hearing will then show whether regulation or a complete ban looks like the better path for future Diwalis.

 

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