The Delhi Government has maintained that it will seal all 77 hotels in Mahipalpur that have been flouting environmental norms and have been operating without permissions from civic agencies and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC).
As many as 27 hotels were sealed on Friday evening with more facing imminent closure. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had earlier passed orders for these hotels to be inspected. The DPCC had found them drawing groundwater illegally and operating against the norms.
Delhi Environment Minister Asim Ahmed Khan had confirmed that the government had cracked down on 77 budget hotels that were operating without a licence.
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He noted that the measure was part of the implementation of the NGT order. “These hotels were drawing underground water and did not have licences from the civic bodies, police or fire department,” said Mr. Khan.
One of these hotels had filed a plea before the NGT and sought directions to revoke the DPCC’s closure orders. The tribunal had then directed the DPCC and other agencies to conduct a joint inspection of hotels near the Indira Gandhi International Airport to see if they were following the norms.
While the livelihood of hundreds of hotel staff depends on these establishments, the owners say that the NGT has reserved its order in this matter and that the sealing was premature.
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“The sealing by DPCC is premature and illegal. Hotels here are complying with pollution control norms. There is a technical problem with procuring CTO. We are looking at filing a petition with the NGT,” said area MLA Col. Devinder Sehrawat.