National Green Tribunal: Warrants were issued by the National Green Tribunal against hookah bar owners in Delhi in the case of use of tobacco of any kind in any hookah and their services to the customers in the restaurants/hotels.
The Bench comprising of Justice Jawad Rahim, Mr. Bikram Singh Sajwan and headed by Chairman of National Green Tribunal, Justice Swatanter Kumar issued bailable warrants against the owners of 25 hookah bars who had earlier been asked to report in front of the Tribunal.
Acting on the PIL filed by BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa, NGT had called for replies from the Delhi government, Ministry of Environment of Forests, Delhi Pollution Control Committee and hookah bars’ owners. M.S. Sirsa had in his PIL said that the air quality was dangerously higher as compared to the prescribed norms, in public places like restaurants. Having relied on Section 3 of the Prohibition of Smoking at Public Places Rules, 2008, he stated how the Act explicitly prohibits smoking in public places. [Manjinder Singh Sirsa v. Union of India, Original Application No. 610 of 2017, order dated 29.11.2017]
