Hauz Khas eateries plan joint effluent plant
NEW DELHI: You can have a taste of Himalayan cuisine and a view of the lush deer park from the little restaurants of Hauz Khas Village. A wide variety of cuisine, the backdrop of graffiti, art galleries and alleys of an urban village make it one of the most attractive hangouts in Delhi, even for foreigners. But not many know how these eateries are unsustainably extracting groundwater and are polluting water bodies by discharging untreated waste water into sewers. Customers are against closing these eateries. Instead the agencies should impose strict norms and see that no environmental norms are flouted. "A lot of tourists come here because of its colourful atmosphere and the variety of cuisines. Why close this place completely?" asked Shruti Bagla, who comes here often. Most eateries claimed that they did not know that it was mandatory to take permission from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) before starting a restaurant. "Ours is a small restaur...