Hauz Khas is a ticking time bomb, without essential emergency services: Delhi HC

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New Delhi: South Delhi's Hauz Khas village “is a ticking time bomb without essential civic and emergency services,” the Delhi High Court observed on Thursday.

A bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and comprising Justice C Hari Shankar said that neither the government agencies, nor the restaurant owners of the area have responded to its queries on safety and other issues.

Warning the associations of restaurants owners, the high court said that they will not be allowed escape any civil and criminal liability in case any unfortunate incident takes place.

"The reports of Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Service, SDMC and the Delhi Jal Board illustrate that the Hauz Khas village is a ticking time bomb without essential civic and emergency services.

"Our repeated queries regarding quantum of solid waste (garbage) and sewage generated by these restaurants (pubs,bars and cafes in Hauz Khas village) evoked no response from either the authorities or the restaurant owners," it observed.

Highlighting the lack of space, the bench claimed ambulances will not be able to reach inside in case of any emerency.

"The adverse impact on the hygiene and environment so far as the citizenry is concerned thereby, would be insurmountable and irreversible," it said, adding that "more worrying" fact was that in case of an emergency, it would be impossible to reach the buildings inside the Hauz Khas Village.

"This position is also highlighted from the affidavit of the Deputy Commissioner of Police pointing out that during a mock-drill for a terrorist attack, the NSG commandos could not reach the destination within the village," the order said.

The bench also worried about how the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi Police, Delhi Fire Services and other agencies, had allowed commercialisation of the village which had led to public nuisance and health hazards.

The court's observation came during hearing of PILs filed by social activist Pankaj Sharma and advocate Anuja Kapur, who alleged that over 120 restaurants and pubs were running in the Hauz Khas Village without any approved building plans or no objection certificate (NOC) from the authorities including the fire department.

"To our mind, the situation and the issues are of serious nature and need immediate action," the bench said and listed the matter for September 26.

The bench asked Delhi Jal Board to inspect each premises in Hauz Khas village with regard to water supply (including whether it is commercial / residential) as well as borewells, which may have been dug in these properties within three days.

With PTI Inputs