Sellers refuse to let their business bomb

From shops filled with electric diyas to 'sound-only' toys, New Delhi is adapting to yet another Diwali with a ban on firecrackers.

- ANUSHKA BHARDWAJ, PRACHI PISAL, SHINE JACOB, ISHITA AYAN DUTT, & VIRENDRA SINGH RAWAT

Retailers in major markets such as Connaught Place, Lajpat Nagar, and Paschim Vihar have closed their shutters, with some leaving behind phone numbers printed on the wall.

However, in Old Delhi's bustling Chandni Chowk's Paiwalan Bazaar, one of the largest wholesale markets for firecrackers in the national capital, shopkeepers are trying to keep the business going.

"I was a worker in one of these shops. Since the ban, I have set up my cart with some limited stock," says Rashid Khan. He adds that while working in a shop, he could earn ₹800900 every day, but with a cart system, sales are unpredictable.

The entire lane where Khan has set up his seasonal business is occupied by small carts, most of which are owned by shopkeepers or workers who have closed their shops due to the ban.

The owner of Majestic Fireworks says, "A few years ago, we could sell crackers worth ₹15-16 lakh in just three days before Diwali. Now, sales are down to less than half that." He adds that the number is decreasing every year, with the fear of police crackdowns lingering.

Like Khan, other seasonal sellers have also emerged in the market.

"We buy in bulk from licensed shops. Since these shops can't sell them once the ban is imposed, we sell them," says Iltumish, a cracker cart owner.

A few shops in the market have covered their signs and claim to sell party poppers and 'celebration material', although their goods and services tax number indicates they are a cracker company. It's not just Delhi.