Delhi Pollution Control Committee directed to pass orders on their applications for consent to operate within two weeks
The National Green Tribunal has
ordered closure of 12 eateries in Delhi’s Hauz Khas village that do not
have “consent to operate”.
Counsel appearing on behalf of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee
(DPCC) submitted before the tribunal that of the 32 restaurants and
hotels in Hauz Khas village, 20 have applied for consent to operate. Of
the 20 applicant restaurants and hotels, DPCC was satisfied with the
measures taken by eight of them and granted them consent to operate. But
consent for the remaining 12 restaurants has still not been granted.
“We make it clear that in respect of the said remaining 12
restaurants/hotels, DPCC shall pass orders on merit in accordance with
law within a period of two weeks from today. We also make it clear that
if the DPCC refuses to grant consent to operate in respect of any of
these 12 restaurants, such restaurants shall not proceed to operate
their business and DPCC shall ensure the same,” said a bench headed by
justices P Jyothimani and M S Nambiar. The bench gave one week time to
the 12 restaurants to apply for consent to operate.
The bench also asked DPCC to file a status report in respect of each
of the restaurants/hotels in Hauz Khas village by the next date of
hearing—February 6.
NGT had earlier shut down all eateries in Hauz Khas village for five
days after it was found that they did not have consent to operate and
have been discharging their waste untreated. Hauz Khaz village houses
several high-end boutiques and eateries.
Pankaj Sharma, former resident of the village and head of a
non-profit Centre for Transforming India, had filed a petition before
the NGT in July 2013, highlighting the absence of sewage disposal and
severe air pollution caused by power generators in the area. Sharma, in
his petition, has listed 33 restaurants which have been violating
various norms under the Environmental Protection Act and Air and Water
Pollution Act.
During the course of inspections in July and August, DPCC officials
found that only one restaurant in the area was following the rules.
However, the tribunal on September 25 granted “conditional approval” to
operate only to those eateries that had installed effluent treatment
plants or were in the process of installing them, but clarified that the
permission to operate would be subject to final decision of the DPCC
which would verify if the treatment plants are functioning properly.
During the September 25 hearing, NGT had also constituted a committee
to suggest ways and means for such eateries to reduce pollution. The
committee submitted its report on January 8 and NGT has asked DPCC to
publicise it on their website and in national dailies.
