Use of clean fuel is mandatory within 30 sq km of Victoria Memorial

The state pollution control board and police will soon launch a drive to identify hotels, restaurants and other establishments violating a high court order banning the use of coal for cooking within 3 km of Victoria Memorial Hall. Violators may attract closures, fines and even FIRs.

The decision to launch the joint drive was taken at a recent meeting between environment department officials and Calcutta police top brass at Lalbazar.

Chaired by additional police commissioner Subrata Sarkar, the meeting was attended by representatives of about 75 hotels, restaurants, clubs, hoteliers’ association and other establishments, including Calcutta Club and Calcutta Race Course.

“The environment department has communicated the high court order and the subsequent notification to the hotels and restaurants within 3 km of the monument,” Sarkar said.

“We have told them that the raids will start once the order is circulated. The order will also be posted on the state board’s website,” said Biswajit Mukherjee, the senior law officer of the environment department who attended the meeting.

According to Mukherjee, the violators will be fined or asked to close down their establishments. In certain cases, FIRs may be lodged against them. State board officials explained with aerial maps which wards come under the purview of the high court order.

In September 2007, Calcutta High Court — based on a report filed by the Pune-based National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) — banned the use of all fuels save LPG and open-fire ovens within a radius of 3 km of the marble monument to save it from environmental degradation.

A public interest litigation filed by environmentalist Subhas Dutta led to the order.

The subsequent notification by the environment department’s principal secretary, M.L.Meena, asked the Calcutta Municipal Corporation, state pollution control board and the police to impose the condition before issuing permits to eateries.

The mandatory use of LPG applies to both new and old eateries located within 30 sq km of the Memorial. The area has the maximum concentration of eateries. The list includes big restaurants and hotels, the race course, Eden Gardens, all the clubs on the Maidan and also innumerable smaller roadside units within specified zone. “The order means the end of tandoor dishes and kebabs because they cannot be cooked without charcoal,” rued S.K. Khullar, the owner of Ambar restaurant in the Esplanade area.