For 21 Hauz Khas Village restaurants and bars, Saturday night turned out to be a dud, with the Delhi government sealing their premises for violation of pollution-control laws.
The move comes days after the High Court said that the party zone was a “ticking time bomb”.
Acting on directions from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, the Revenue Department, through the area District Magistrate, sealed the 21 properties, a senior DPCC official said.
The official added that despite several inspections and notices, the eateries had failed to comply with air and water pollution norms.
‘Untreated effluents’
A total of 22 establishments had been issued notices, but one was found to no longer exist when the sealing action was taken.
In violation of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, the restaurants were found releasing untreated effluents. The restaurants’ kitchens were also found emitting smoke in violation of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act.
The eateries would remain sealed till they make the required changes to comply with the laws and re-apply for licences to operate, said the official.