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Gets key meeting with chairman to present case for revision of new eco norms

The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) is at a critical juncture in its efforts to convince the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to relax some newly added critical stipulations it is finding “hard to meet”.

The association is scheduled to meet key decision maker JK Dadoo, DPCC chairman and secretary, environment, forest and wildlife, Delhi later this month in an effort to bring the DPCC to the negotiating table.

The bone of contention is the DPCC’s addition in 2007 to its office order of 2000 with regards to the environment norms which the association claims is “hard to meet,” according to a NRAI committee member.

The DPCC now wants all orange category Delhi restaurants to have an Effluence Treatment Plant (ETP), acoustic enclosed diesel generator, solar water heating and rainwater harvesting systems, change all lighting to CFL, plant trees and get approvals from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) for their bore wells.

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The original guidelines were jointly drawn up in 2000 by the DPCC and NRAI. The DPCC’s all important consent to be established and operate was expanded to a three year term in 2004.

It is the 2007 revision which took the industry by surprise.

“We understand the need for the environment laws and want to be as environmentally responsible as possible. But some of these changes are not practical and have been made without consulting us,” said the NRAI member.

Claiming non-compliance, the committee is sending show cause notices to erring restaurants just prior to reviewing their consent applications.

The NRAI, on its part wants the DPCC to create a phasing in schedule and remove the ambiguity.

“Putting an ETP in the congested Connaught Place area and malls is not feasible, while planting trees is good but it is not stated where and the CGWA says it is not concerned with the issue since it sanctions only new bore wells, not old ones,” said the member.