Jhajjar/Gurugram, Oct. 3 -- Deep inside Gadoli Market on Pataudi road, small crowds had gathered outside at least four warehouses on Gali No. 8 on October 1. People had come from across Gurugram and beyond, hoping to procure firecrackers to fill Ravana effigies for Dussehra and for the upcoming Diwali festivities. While the shutters of warehouses were closed, agents loitering nearby approached customers, whispering about alternatives. Last year, the Supreme Court imposed a blanket ban on the sale and bursting of firecrackers in the National Capital Region (NCR), expressing concern over the air quality in the region. While it reaffirmed this judgment in April this year, citing the "horrible" air quality in the region, it is now hearing a plea challenging the blanket ban. The Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change has been directed to submit a concrete proposal by October 8. In the meantime, an HT spot check has found that, in contravention of the Supreme Court's ruling, firecracker trade is thriving in Gurugram's outskirts, where godowns, hidden factories, and middlemen have stepped in to fill the demand for the ongoing festival season. From shuttered warehouses in Gadoli Market to a remote compound in Patauda village, the investigation revealed how sellers, agents, and manufacturers are quietly keeping the supply chain alive, exploiting loopholes and jurisdictional gaps. In Gali No. 8, while multiple godowns remained shut with large hoardings citing the Supreme Court's order on sale of firecrackers, one agent, mentioning a contact in Patauda, a village on the Gurugram-Jhajjar border said, "Tell me the amount and I will get you anything."The rate card that he shared on WhatsApp listed everything from sparklers and rockets to annars and bomb strings, each priced far above market rates. The HT team traced the trail to Patauda, where a two-kilometre-long dirt stretch ended at a compound that, from outside, looked abandoned. Inside, however, the operation was brisk. Under a blue shed, rows of firecrackers were being openly displayed. Buyers streamed in and out of a small adjoining room where they were negotiating prices, while in one corner a cashier calmly counted thick bundles of cash. At least two men were supervising the transactions, assisted by a dozen helpers who loaded orders into sacks. Cars with registration plates from Delhi, Faridabad and Gurugram rolled into the compound, filling their boots with firecrackers up to hundreds of kilos. A man identifying himself as Akash Sharma (name changed) said the factory operated daily from 11 am to 7 pm and would continue till Diwali. "We can meet any demand," he added. Customers said the sellers had a monopoly and were exploiting it. "A serpent bomb string that normally costs Rs.500 was Rs.700 two days ago. Today I paid Rs.900," said one customer. He had purchased firecrackers worth Rs.1 lakh. Another buyer said, "With all licensed shops closed, this is one of the few places still selling. That's why they are charging whatever they want." Inside the factory, lists circulating among buyers showed steep prices: three rockets for Rs.350, a box of fountain fireworks for Rs.150, sparklers for Rs.120, and serpent bomb strings for nearly double the pre-ban price. Salesmen said costs could rise another 200% before Diwali as the enforcement of the ban is tightened. But the network is not limited to Patauda. Locals and buyers also pointed to Basonda, a village about 8 km away, where a second factory operates in agricultural fields. At a third location, Kadipur Industrial Area on the edge of Gurugram, shops open between 3 am and 7 am to avoid detection. Buyers revealed that firecrackers from prominent Indian brands including Standard, Sony, Ajanta, and Bluestar were available at these clandestine outlets. Gurugram resident Kartik Nijawan said he had travelled almost 60 km to Basonda to buy crackers. He bought crackers worth Rs.15,000. "Many people from Delhi, Faridabad and Gurugram are coming here. It is nearly impossible to find these spots without middlemen, but once you know, the access is easy," he said. "There were cars lined up from all over NCR." The demand was strongest for traditional items. "People don't want just the green ones. They ask specifically for ladi bombs, rockets and serpent bombs," said one agent at the factory in Patauda, refusing to be identified. Veteran traders in Gurugram, insiders explained, had shifted operations to Jhajjar to evade scrutiny. Anil Nagpal, vice president of the Haryana Firecracker Association, said this is possible because of a loophole. "Local authorities here have not formally issued notices banning the sale," he claimed, adding that the proximity to the NCR border gave sellers an escape route. The HT team also observed how agents in Gadoli Market worked as the first link in this underground chain. Customers approaching closed godowns were quietly redirected to factories like the one in Patauda, where cash-only transactions kept the trail cold. The goods then found their way back into Delhi and Gurugram through retailers, who sold them at inflated rates. A Delhi-based retailer, speaking on condition of anonymity, admitted he had bought crackers worth Rs.60,000 from Gadoli traders and later sold them for three times the price in Ghitorni. "I am planning to procure raw material directly from Jhajjar and Rewari," he said, showing burn marks on his hands from making firecrackers at his Gurugram home. Akansha Tanwar, environment engineer at the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) regional office in Gurugram, acknowledged the concerns raised in the HT investigation. "Timely action will be taken by conducting inspections of the areas," she said. The risks of this parallel economy go beyond law enforcement challenges. Experts warn that makeshift factories without fire safety approvals increase the risk of accidents, especially as raw gunpowder is handled in unregulated environments. Inside Gurugram, the illegal stocking of fireworks in residential godowns poses hazards. Yet, demand appears undeterred, with buyers insisting that festivals without firecrackers are unimaginable. As evening fell, more vehicles lined up outside the Patauda compound. The sellers, unfazed by the law, went about their business, their cash counters steadily filling up. Traders admitted that business had never been this lucrative, with the ban pushing up both demand and margins. "This is one of the best seasons we've had," said a salesman....