GHAZIABAD: Earthen lamps are back as the flavour of the season in Indirapuram ahead of Diwali, days after the Supreme Court imposed a blanket ban on sale of firecrackers across the Delhi-NCR region to avoid pollution-induced smog.When TOI did a recce of the markets on Sunday, the last weekend prior to Diwali, not a single firecracker shop was found anywhere.The number of vendors selling earthen lamps in the township, particularly along the Shipra Sun City road, is visibly up this year as compared to previous years. Hawkers, their pushcarts piled with earthen lamps, can also be seen going about from one housing society to another selling their ware.Vendors said sale of earthen lamps has also gone up this season. "My wife and kids are helping me in the business by baking earthen lamps on the roadside where we are selling them. Demand is high this season and the number of vendors has also increased. We witnessed the maximum sales on Sunday," said Om Prakash, an earthen lamp vendor.A number of residents said they have purchased earthen lamps well in advance in order to paint and decorate them for Diwali evening."Lighting of earthen lamps has always been the traditional way of celebrating Diwali. Our kids were busy painting and embellishing the lamps with various decorations over the weekend," said Archana Kumar, a resident of Arihant Harmony The district administration has, meanwhile, taken all steps to ensure there is no sale of firecrackers in the city this Diwali in accordance with the SC order. Teams have been formed in various zones of the city, with the respective sub-divisional magistrates and police circle officers heading them, to ensure the ban remains enforced."Temporary licences for setting up firecracker shops, which are handed out prior to Diwali, were kept in abeyance by the district administration this year. So, there are no shops," additional district magistrate (city) Preeti Jaiswal told TOI."The challenge is to ensure stocks of firecrackers purchased by sellers are stored safely. Fire department officials have been instructed to ensure there are no fire-related accidents to these stocks. Surveillance teams have been formed to prevent sale of firecrackers in the black market," she added.

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