Delhi: 21 restaurants in Hauz Khas Village sealed for ‘violating pollution norms’

The committee added that after the restaurants were issued notices and finally the closure notice, it was communicated to the district administration, following which the sealing took place. (Source: Express File Photo/Tashi Tobgyal)

A total of 21 restaurants in Hauz Khas Village were sealed Saturday, days after being served notice by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) for violating a host of pollution norms. The restaurants were sealed in the afternoon, in the presence of the Hauz Khas sub-divisional magistrate and police personnel.

Sayed Musawwir Ali, DPCC member secretary, said, “The notices for violations were issued over a period of time. We had issued a total of 22 closure notices. But only 21 restaurants were shut down as one eatery had shut earlier.”

The committee added that after the restaurants were issued notices and finally the closure notice, it was communicated to the district administration, following which the sealing took place. An official said, “There are two kinds of violations that DPCC checks. The first is air violation — whether smoke or other emissions coming from the restaurants are dealt with properly or not. The second thing we check is dirty water or other effluents.”

The rules framed by the DPCC include “proper oil and grease trap-cum-settling tank” for holding kitchen effluents, presence of effluent treatment plant, sewage treatment plant for waste generated from toilets, etc.

In 2013, the National Green Tribunal had initially shut down 26 restaurants. After months of litigation, the Tribunal gave partial relief to Hauz Khas Village. However, it expressed grave concerns over the unbridled “mushrooming” of eateries in the city that were violating environmental norms.

The Delhi government said this was an “ongoing problem”. “A number of these restaurants were found brazenly violating all possible environmental norms for quick profit — from extracting groundwater illegally to dumping waste indiscriminately. Hence, we took strict action.”

In August, the Delhi High Court had raised concerns over the fire hazard in HKV, and had directed the government to file a status report on the fire that broke out on August 25, 2016.