NGT seeks report on Ghaziabad banquet halls

New Delhi: Ahead of the wedding season, illegal banquet halls and wedding farm houses in Ghaziabad have come under the scanner of the National Green Tribunal, which has sought an action taken report (ATR) from the authorities against them.  

A bench, headed by acting chairperson Justice Jawad Rahim, directed the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) to file a detailed affidavit on the issue by July 7.

The order came after the green panel was informed that  there were 106 banquet halls, which were operating without taking a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the department concerned.

The bench also said: “The authority is hereby directed to file a statement of the action taken against the banquet halls operating illegally in addition to the reply already filed in this case.”

During the hearing, advocate Raman Yadav, appearing for the GDA, told the bench that the administration has been sealing farmhouses and banquet halls that were being run in violation of rules and regulations.

It may be noted here that the green panel had earlier issued notice to authorities on a petition filed by residents of Ghaziabad, Sushil Raghav and Akash Vashishtha, alleging that a number of banquet halls, party halls, birthday houses and wedding farm houses in Ghaziabad were running without requisite environmental permissions.

The petition had sought action against the illegal banquet and marriage halls in Ghaziabad. They functioned without obtaining the consent under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and Water (Prevention and Control of pollution) Act, 1974 from the pollution control board.

The petition further said: “The application pertains to construction and operation of a large number of baarat ghars or wedding farm houses and banquet halls and party halls and such events happening in open lawns and green belt area without obtaining any consent... The banquet halls and party halls also violate the provision of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 as severe noise pollution is caused due to the loud music played by the organisers of the event.

It may further be submitted that the organisers of these halls also extract huge quantity of ground water without any no objection certificate from the Central Ground Water Authority.”

Moreover, the petition had also sought closure and demolition of such illegal banquet and party halls which were operating without proper permissions from the pollution control board and Central Ground Water Authorit (CGWA).