Delhi: Three eateries in Hauz Khas sealed over noise norm violations

NGT had directed DPCC to furnish a list of all eateries in the area, along with their status of operation

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has sealed three restaurants in Hauz Khas village in south Delhi for operating without valid consent to operate (CTO) licence and has imposed a total of ₹30 lakh fine on the three units.

The action was taken after a detailed inspection of the popular market to check whether restaurants in the area were meeting the prescribed noise pollution norms. (File)

The action was taken after a detailed inspection of the popular market to check whether restaurants in the area were meeting the prescribed noise pollution norms, following a petition filed in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in April last year, alleging restaurants and eateries there were using loudspeakers till late in the night.

Informing NGT about the status of all 31 eateries and restaurants in the area that were inspected, DPCC, in a report submitted on April 16, said that three of these did not have a valid licence and were sealed on April 6.

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“The area SDM has informed that three units, against whom closure directions were issued by the DPCC under section 33(A) of the Water Act, 1974 and 31(A) of Air Act, 1981, have been sealed on April 6. These three units were found to be operating without CTO by a joint committee during earlier inspections,” said the report.

It also added that reports from BSES and the Delhi Jal Board over stoppage of both water and electricity were still awaited. While a fine of ₹15 lakh was imposed on one restaurant, which was operating on floors two and three in the same building, the other two restaurants have been fined ₹7.5 lakh each.

In December last year, a joint team of DPCC and the sub-divisional magistrate (Hauz Khas) inspected the area and found that 10 restaurants were not meeting the noise norms. These eateries were fined ₹10,000 each, under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.

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NGT, earlier this month, had directed DPCC to furnish a list of all eateries in the area, along with their status of operation.

The report said out of the 31 eateries, one was found to be shut and the other three were operating without a valid licence. One other eatery did have a licence from DPCC but was missing its licence from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi. “A letter has been sent to the MCD, seeking details, as the unit did not have an MCD licence,” the report adds.

The permissible decibel levels in Delhi during the day range from 55 decibels (dB) in residential areas to 65dB in commercial areas and 75dB in industrial areas. During the night, these levels are supposed to be below 45dB in residential areas, below 55dB in commercial and below 70dB in industrial areas.