HC seeks report on Delhi's Kalkaji temple

Delhi High Court Wednesday issued notice to Delhi Police asking it to file a status report indicating security and safety measures in and around Kalkaji temple.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice B.D. Ahmad and Justice Vibhu Bakhru also asked the fire department to file a status report on compliance of the safety regulations within the temple.

The court's direction came on a PIL filed by advocate Piyush Joshi seeking directions for Delhi Police to provide adequate security and safety at the Kalkaji temple and other basic amenities, including sanitation.

The bench also issued notice to the central government, Sri Kalkaji Mandir Prabhandhak Sudhar Committee, Delhi government, lieutenant governor, Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), police commissioner, police station house office of Kalkaji and Delhi fire service.

The petitioner said that he saw the prevailing deplorable conditions at the Kalkaji temple such as lack of proper hygiene and sanitation, mismanagement, lack of security, unauthorised occupation of the dharamshalas in the temple premises, lack of basic amenities like shoe storage facilities etc.

Filing the plea, the advocate said the conditions in the temple premises do not conform to any civic standards of sanitation, health and fire safety.

It added that no security measures are present at the temple to prevent untoward incidents.

"Poor sanitation conditions at the temple are breeding ground for diseases. No proper waste disposal system has made the temple premises unhygienic," the PIL stated.

The plea sought directions for DDA to check and demolish illegal unauthorised construction in and around the temple and MCD to check all unscrupulous vendors who have raised unauthorised structure around it.

"There is encroachment upon temple property by unauthorised and unscrupulous persons who pollute the temple premises without taking any measures to depose of the waste and garbage, which is generated from their respective shop structures," the plea said.