New Delhi: 2^nd September, 2014

         An impression is being emerged by the Delhi Gymkhana club officer bearers that the club is being unfairly targeted when last week Delhi Pollution Control Committee(DPCC) had pulled up the club for flouting various environment norms.

But the Premium Club which is located right within the heart of Lutyen’s New Delhi area & boasts of members from the highest echelons of the society should have acted with added responsibility & alacrity in adhering to environmental laws, rather than engaging itself in raising frivolous allegations in petty attempt to obfuscate the matter and escape from the clutches of law.

           Going to the past record of this Premium Club since 2005, it is seen that the club has been quite negligent in complying with environment laws.  In March 2005, when it was first reported that club was not complying with the requirements of environment protection standards, club admitted its mistake and assured to comply. Closure order was served on the club in October 2005 when no concrete step was taken by the club.  Since then during several instances, the club was found wanting and pulled up for non-compliance at regular intervals in 2007, 2009 and in 2011. In December, 2013, after a detailed inspection of its premises, several discrepancies including ETP being non-operational were pointed out & club was asked to rectify. A notice was also issued in February 2014. When an inspection was carried out on 27^th June, 2014 to verify the claims of compliance, there was not much improvement. Rather, it was found that the club was operating 5 bore-wells unauthorizedly and withdrawing ground-water illegally in gross-violation of orders of National Green Tribunal and notifications of Department of Environment& Forests of Govt. of Delhi. Accordingly, closure order was served & subsequently on an appeal before NGT, the club was directed to deposit Rs.5 lakh & to apply to Delhi Jal Board to obtain permission for running bore-wells. 

  The club without making sincere efforts to comply with the environment standards & laws is crying hoarse that attempts are being made by DPCC to embrass the club, for early resolution of their membership issues. When there was no application for membership filed by any of the officer of DPCC in their personal capacity, the resolution of membership issue raked in the club is frivolous and appears to be figment of imagination of club officer- bearers.