Delhi Environment Body Issues Notices To 400 Hotels For Causing Pollution In The City
Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has issued showcause notices to over 400 guesthouses and hotels in Paharganj demanding a reply within 15 days as to why consent to operate was not taken under Water
In a bid to curb pollution in the national Capital, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has issued show cause notices to over 400 guesthouses and hotels in Paharganj demanding a reply within 15 days as to why consent to operate was not taken under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
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The Delhi Hotel Mahasangh is, however, up in arms against this move and has decided to meet environment minister Imran Hussain over the notices sent 'wrongly'. They said that these establishments are neither industry nor have they been asked to take permission from DPCC in the past.
Mahasangh president Arun Gupta claimed that since the acts only apply to industrial units, the showcause notices should not have been issued. "We will meet the minister on Saturday. Delhi Police's licensing department never asked us to get permission from DPCC in the past. Our activities are purely residential and non-polluting in nature," he said.
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Gupta added that this move will further burden small guesthouses that are already paying a number of charges. "To get consent from DPCC, a small businessman will have to bear the cost of additional fees," he said.
The notice states that any establishment that has failed to take consent to operate under the air and water pollution acts will have to close their unit with immediate effect. In addition, the discom BSES and Delhi Police would be asked to disconnect the power supply and the licence would also be cancelled.
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"This is extremely damaging for us. There are mostly small guesthouses in the area that do not even have a kitchen. How can we cause pollution? Most have 15 to 20 rooms and we are already paying a number of charges, including licence fees, conversion charges and house tax. In spite of that, we have been told to respond within a few days or our guesthouses will be shut down," said Sourabh Chhabra, owner of Krishna Cottage, a guesthouse in Paharganj.
Chhabra added that while the notices are dated April 10, the owners received them a day ago. "All owners are now collectively looking to approach the minister to find a solution," he said.
