With the closing down of 12 outlets, running without consent to operate (CTO) licences, there is hope that Hauz Khas Village will maintain its green cover. By Karan Bhardwaj
It was bliss…watching Suryakant Sawhney or PCRC, Stefan Kaye of Skavengers and two other talents collaborate musically on a winter evening at one of the many unofficial openings of Downstairs at Zo. After the opening, I watched Kuru Chronicles coming to life at this venue and spent many evenings here. Now, it’s gone…perhaps for the best,” said writer Sanghamitra Sen when he got to know that his favourite food joint Zo in the Hauz Khas Village has been shut.
Apart from Zo, the list has 11 other eateries, including Smoke House Deli, The Food Mill, Faarsi, Bootlegger, Cire Ristorante and Verve. They have been asked to pack up after they failed to acquire ‘consent to operate’ from Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).
Over the years, Hauz Khas Village has been thriving on its food joints but it came under scanner last year, when a PIl was filed, saying that several of its eateries were flouting environmental norms. In fact, in September 2013, over 32 restaurants were shut down after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) discovered that there were no ETPs (effluent treatment plants) for water treatments. Now, the fate of these 12 outlets is uncertain as DPCC has to clear the CTO applications within two weeks.
But the question is, whether Hauz Khas Village will follow the Shahpur Jat and MG Road’s fate and die its natural death, or will it hit back with a ‘green card’IJ If we go by the owners and experts, the village, which is providing an alternate culture, can strike back. “Most of the restaurants have fallen in line barring a few. After September’s fiasco, over 20 restaurants out of 32 had already applied for CTO. The remaining ones are in the queue and have sped up the process,” said one of the restaurant owners.
All said and done, the frequent news of closures has brought disrepute to the “cool” village. Amit Bagga, general secretary, Hauz Khas Restaurant Association and co-owner at OTB admitted, “There’s a loss of goodwill apart from the monetary setback. Why is Hauz Khas Village being targettedIJ Just because we sell alcohol…does it make us sinnersIJ We generate huge revenues for the government and also promote tourism and nightlife culture. But this kind of attitude only discourages entrepreneurs.”
Raj Kumar Dhingra, owner of Power House Complex and an influential landlord in the village pointed out lapses in the system. “Why do they issue licenses when the ETPs are not in placeIJ Small restaurants which cannot install such plants are also given licenses to operate. Then someday, authorities wake up and crack down on them” he said.
On an average, Huaz Khas Village pays Rs 1 lakh as tax to the government. Despite that there’s traffic jam and parking trouble in the evening hours. “There is a barren land behind my complex. I had requested authorities to extend the parking area to facilitate more visitors but they turned deaf ear. For the last one year, the file is waiting to reach the tables,” he informed.
One of the popular joints that recently shut shop is He Said She Said. The bar was getting popular due to its concept of shots. Its co-owner Harshvardhan Samor said, “There are hundreds of tasks to settle down while opening a new place. Since there are no set guidelines, some lapses are inevitable. However, when we got the notice, we immediately pulled our socks. The reason we couldn’t put effluent treatment plants on time was because everybody applied for it at the same time. So there was a slight delay. Also, the entire process of getting the final CTO takes two months,” he said.
On an average, the closed restaurants and bars would suffer a loss of Rs 50,000-1 lakh each day. “It will become difficult to pay salaries. I will have to pay from my own pocket. Once the news of shutdown spreads, it creates a cloud of confusion. last time, people took more than a month to come back when several outlets were shut. So the loss is much bigger than expected,” Samor added.
Over the years, Hauz Khas Village has become a popular platform for musical concerts too. Many of the eateries regularly hosts musical evenings. Actor Kalki Koechlin, who keeps visiting the place said, “This is a real pity. There were some amazing food places as well as some brilliant platforms for talented upcoming musicians. I will miss it if it shuts down.”