Noida/Delhi, Oct. 16 -- Three days before the Supreme Court's sanctioned three-day sale window for "green firecrackers" was set to begin, the National Capital Region was already alight with illicit sales. From the historic lanes of Old Delhi to the bustling markets of Noida and Ghaziabad, traders and street vendors were openly selling a wide array of firecrackers, flouting the apex court's directives with a brazenness that highlighted a massive enforcement failure and administrative chaos. An HT spot check across key markets in Delhi-NCR - including Sadar Bazar, Jama Masjid, Lajpat Nagar, and the satellite towns of Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad -- revealed a uniform scene: a thriving, unchecked trade in pyrotechnics, where the label "green" was reduced to a deceptive marketing gimmick, printed casually on packaging to mislead customers and skirt the ban on conventional fireworks. The findings expose a region-wide collapse of the regulatory framework designed to protect the NCR's perilous winter air quality. The Supreme Court's October 15 order had created a narrow, carefully controlled pathway for Diwali: only certified "green firecrackers" could be sold, and that too only during a strict 72-hour window from October 18 to 20. Yet, on October 16, the markets were a carnival of contraband. In market after market, vendors displayed boxes marked "Green Crackers," "Pollution Free," "Eco-Friendly," or "Go Green." Phuljhadi (sparklers), chakhri (ground spinners), anaar (flowerpots), ladi (bomb garlands), sootli bombs ("atom" bombs) as well as tiny firecrackers like colourful matches and "impact stones" - the markets offered a plethora of options, priced between Rs.20 and Rs.800, provided you know where to find them. Almost none of these, however, bore the mandatory QR codes from the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) or the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO), which certify a product's compliance. Of the dozen different types of firecrackers HT purchased, only two were actually "green firecrackers". To be sure, even "green crackers" are not supposed to be sold till at least Saturday, according to the Supreme Court order. A vendor outside Jama Masjid's Gate No. 3, his stall surrounded by children begging for demonstrations, confidently asserted, "It's written on the box - see, 'Green Revolution'. These don't cause pollution." His confidence, like that of hundreds of other vendors, stemmed from the near-total absence of enforcement. While the violations were widespread, the situation in the NCR's satellite towns revealed a different dimension of the problem: administrative paralysis and the plight of licensed traders caught in a policy vacuum. In Noida's Sector 18 market, the scene was comparatively muted but still illicit. Vendors admitted they had not received any official communication but were still selling "children's crackers" they believed were less harmful. "We don't keep big bombs or heavy fireworks. Just small items for kids," one trader said, reflecting the widespread ambiguity about what is actually permitted. The confusion was even more pronounced in Ghaziabad and Greater Noida, where the formal licensing process had seemingly ground to a halt. A vendor in Greater Noida claimed his crackers were "safe and eco-friendly" but admitted he could not open his shop without written approval, a document that had not materialised. This bureaucratic limbo has created a crisis for legitimate traders. Ashutosh Gupta, chief of the Firecracker Association in Ghaziabad, pulled no punches in his assessment. "There is total mismanagement. Despite the Supreme Court order, the Ghaziabad administration has still not issued any advisory or instructions," he said. He alleged that while licensed shopkeepers face harassment and have their stocks seized by officials "for personal use," illegal vendors operate with impunity. This sentiment was echoed by a trader in Greater Noida who confirmed that despite the Supreme Court's relaxation, "no licences have been issued ." The official response from authorities in Gautam Budh Nagar (which includes Noida and Greater Noida) highlighted the procedural tangled web. Rajeev Narain Mishra, additional CP (law & order), stated that the police were "currently examining the Supreme Court order" and that the process for issuing licenses had "already begun," with expectations to start granting them the following day. This delay, just 72 hours before the sale window, left traders in an impossible position. Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) effectively passed the buck. Ritesh Tiwari, regional officer for Noida, clarified that his department's role was limited, noting there are no firecracker manufacturing units in the district. "The home department and the district administration will take the call. If shops are allotted, implementation. will be handled by the district administration," he said. This diffusion of responsibility created a perfect storm for non-enforcement, allowing the illegal market to flourish. Almost everywhere HT reporters visited, they found that packaging was being used as camouflage. Vendors claimed legality by merely slapping "eco-friendly" or "green" labels on the boxes. Some even went a step further, printing fake NEERI logos or QR codes that led to random web pages or promotional YouTube videos. At one stall in Netaji Nagar, a father-son duo sold a wide range of crackers they claimed were all "green." On inspection, none had valid certification. "We got these from a supplier in Gurugram," the son said, adding that demand had surged in the past week. "We keep the bigger ones inside - sutli bombs, atom bombs. Those are not displayed." At the heart of it, though, lies the unwavering appetite for fireworks. For vendors, Diwali is the biggest business opportunity of the year. For families, especially children, it remains tied to tradition. The Supreme Court may have opened a narrow window for "green" celebrations, but in markets, that window has already been flung wide open - and rules ended in smoke....