NGT fines govt ₹50K for not giving list of hookah bars

NEW DELHI : The National Green Tribunal on Tuesday pulled up the Delhi government for not submitting a list of restaurants and bars ghat permit hookah smoking on their premises and levied a fine of ₹50,000 on it.

A bench headed by acting NGT chairperson justice Jawad Rahim also directed the AAP government to submit the data within 10 days from Tuesday.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by Manjinder Singh Sirsa, BJP MLA from Rajouri Garden, asking for an immediate ban on hookah bars in the Capital.

During the hearing, advocate SS Ahluwalia, appearing for the petitioner, told the bench that neither has the government carried out searches nor has it produced the list of restaurants serving hookah as per the December 12, 2017 order of the tribunal.

The bench asked the government counsel why it had failed to submit the data. The counsel sought more time to furnish the information but the bench said that it would have to do it in 10 days

The matter has been posted for the next hearing on May 18.

Sirsa, in his petition, had contended that the ambient air quality standards in public places such as restaurants and bars were dangerously higher than the prescribed norms.

Referring to the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules 2008, the petition said these rules are being openly flouted by various restaurants and hookah bars in Delhi wherein hookah, as a tobacco product, is being permitted to be smoked in open spaces without designating any part of its premises as a smoking area.

“Direct MOEF to issue directions under Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act 1986 against such person or entities who have been polluting indoor ambient air in restaurants and bars and such other public places in Delhi by selling hookah or permitting hookah smoking in its premises,” the plea had said.

Direct MOEF to issue directions ...against such person or entities polluting indoor ambient air in restaurants and bars and other such public places by selling hookah or permitting hookah smoking in its premises. PETITION BEFORE NGT