Imposed

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it has imposed fines of ₹70,000 on organisers of social and religious events at Dussehra Park in Vikaspuri, west Delhi, for wreaking environmental damage. The civic body said that based on the accounts of locals, MCD recorded several violations, including digging up of pits, undertaking commercial activities without permission and not carrying out proper waste management.
MCD was responding to a plea, filed by the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) of F Block in Vikaspuri in 2022, which sought action against organisers of events and restrictions on usage of the park as it caused several violations, including dumping of waste, thereby leading to soil, water and air pollutions. Though disposed of by NGT last year in October, RWA this year again filed an execution application seeking action.
MCD in its report, dated August 23, said that the civic body fined two organisers in October last year ₹30,000 each, after they were found undertaking commercial activities without permission.
“During the inspection, it was found that commercial activity was taking place within the park. Security deposits totalling ₹60,000 were forfeited from the two booking parties,” MCD said in its recent report.
In May, another organiser was fined ₹10,000 for digging pits in the park, again without permission.
“With regards to the digging of pits, it is submitted that no permission for digging of pits was given to the park booking party. The same was dug by the booking party on May 13, 2024, to avoid water logging at the venue. On receipt of the complaint, the pit was immediately closed by the organiser,” said the report.
The civic body added that noise pollution norms were being strictly enforced, no DJ or loudspeaker is allowed to be used after 10pm and said that MCD made it mandatory while booking any park that the space should be its original state after the events get over. Any violation of this will lead to penal action, it said.
“It is the responsibility of the event organiser to manage waste during the function. Post event, the cleanliness of the site is maintained by the ‘malies’ (gardeners) of the horticulture department,” the report added.