With no control over illegal commercial activities in and around Hauz Khas Village, the residents have sought intervention of the National Green Tribunal (NGT). A petition has been filed before the tribunal for directions to authorities to seal and demolish illegal commercial units.
NGT has issued notices to the Union Environment Ministry and Delhi Pollution Control Committee seeking their response.In his petition, Pankaj Sharma highlighted the alleged nexus of the municipal bodies, traders and the police in allowing a majority of eateries and shops to operate without requisite permissions.
"A majority of eateries, fashion stores, art galleries and other business houses are operating illegally. Not only has this been causing depletion of groundwater level in the area, but is also harming the green cover in the surrounding areas," said the petition.
Sharma has already filed a writ petition in the High Court against the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and other agencies seeking directions to take necessary legal action of sealing and demolition against such units. "Many restaurants, pubs, bars and cafés in the Hauz Khas Village area are functioning without any statutory licences, especially the requisite environment clearances, in gross violation of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980," the petitioner said.
The petition also mentioned that mushrooming of illegal shops and restaurants damaged the heritage of the Hauz Khas Village. "The Hauz-i-Alai or the Hauz Khas Pond is a piece of utilitarian architecture, which was built to collect and store rain water for daily usage. Various historic buildings around Hauz-i-Alai such as Tomb of Firoz Shah Tughlaq, a college building constructed by Firoz Shah Tughlaq belongs to the Indo-Islamic style of architecture," it said.
In his petition, Sharma has mentioned that most of these restaurants do not have regular water connections and have been using the groundwater through illegal boring system and tube-wells. He has further said that most of the commercial units in the area do not have proper waste disposal system. "The State and the local bodies have completely failed to check the illegal mushrooming of the commercial units despite several complaints," Sharma said.
Around 50 restaurants and several fashion stores, art galleries, etc. operate from the area. However, very few have obtained environmental clearances and health and trade licences, he said. Requesting NGT to intervene in the matter, Sharma has now sought directions from the State to investigate and identify all such commercial units in Hauz Khas Village that have been operating illegally, and take punitive action against them.