Delhi traders sell vegetables stuffed with old crackers as green crackers

Traders in Sadar Bazar here on Wednesday stuffed old firecrackers inside vegetables to protest the Supreme Court's order on use of green crackers this Diwali.

Members of the Sadar Bazar Welfare Association sold firecrackers inside bitter gourds, cauliflowers, capsicums and ladies' fingers.

Last month, the top court had said people in the country can burst firecrackers from 8 pm to 10 pm on Diwali and other festivals.

While issuing the order, it had allowed manufacture and sale of just "green crackers" which have low emission of light, sound and harmful chemicals.

The Supreme Court order should have come earlier. This would have given time to traders to procure licences to sell green firecrackers, Sadar Nishkarm Welfare Association, president, Harjit Singh Chabbra, said.

"These are the green firecrackers that one can eat later," the association said showing the crackers stuffed with vegetables.

They said if these do not burst, these can be used for eating.

Another trader, who participated in the protest, said their sale has been very poor this year and they are very disappointed with the authorities.

"Most of us do not even understand what green crackers mean," he said.

Most traders have complained the order of being last minute which did not give them time to get the license.