Arvind Kejriwal can campaign for Lok Sabha polls; gets 21-day interim bail
New Delhi, October 9:
The National Green Tribunal on a petition filed by S. Manjinder Singh Sirsa, a sitting MLA of the Delhi Legislative Assembly issued notice the Delhi Government and the Union Government against the menace of rising levels of indoor air pollution caused by indiscriminate hookah smoking in restaurants and bars all across the city of Delhi. NGT has posted next date of hearing on October 17, 2017.
Mr. Vivek Chib, assisted by Mr. SS Ahluwalia appearing on behalf of S. Manjinder Singh Sirsa argued that the ambient air quality standards in public places such as restaurants and bars are dangerously higher than the prescribed norms. This team also argued that various studies and scientific research has shown that levels of air pollution caused by indiscriminate and unrestricted hookah smoking is extremely hazardous to both the environment and human health and that scientific studies have debunked the popular misconceived notion that hookah smoking is relatively safer than tobacco smoking as studies have found that hookah smoking contains serious carcinogenic constituents.
Welcoming the decision of the NGT to issue notice on this important issue, the Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP combine MLA and the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) General Secretary S. Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that Chief Minister Mr. Arvind Kejriwal was directly responsible for the mess created in National Capital. He said that time and again he had urged Mr. Kejriwal to immediately ban these hookah bars in Delhi as they were not only ruining lives of youth of Delhi but also contributing to environmental degradation. He said that it was most unfortunate that Mr. Kejriwal did not paid heed to his appeals.
Sirsa said that aim of the AAP government led by Mr. Kejriwal was only make money from everything whether it is by issuing licenses to restaurants for serving liquor or any method and it was least cared for the welfare of the people of Delhi.
It is worth mentioning here that the Petition filed by the S. Sirsa also states that despite recent amendments made in the law which prohibits any kind of service being provided in designated places meant for smoking; restaurants and bars all over Delhi are openly flouting the same and providing hookah smoking to customers in violation of such prohibitions.
Taking cognizance of the rising levels of air pollution the National Green Tribunal directed the Government of NCT of Delhi to furnish a list of all restaurants and bars in the city who are permitting hookah smoking within their premises.
