Imperiling human life due to pollution, congestion can't be tolerated: HC

The Delhi High Court today said imperiling human life due to extreme congestion and pollution, generation of hazardous affluence and extreme pressure on fire services and police cannot be tolerated.

The court made the remarks after taking a suo motu cognisance of news reports of a major fire in a rubber godown in South Delhi's Malviya Nagar on Tuesday. The fire started in a truck loaded with inflammable rubber sheets and spread to the godown in the congested locality.

The massive fire was controlled after 20 hours.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and C Hari Shankar said the incident raises serious concerns on misuse of property.

It said the time has come to fix criminal liability and impose monetary penalty for loses caused to public, and the property owners and occupiers who misuse the property have to be held liable.

Taking note of the news reports that said up to 90 fire tenders were pressed into action along with a helicopter of the Indian Air Force and 8,000 litres of water was used to douse of the fire, the bench lamented, "Delhi's tax payers will now have to maintain aerial fire fighting as you (civic bodies) do not perform your job."