No uniform cap on guests at wedding

NEW DELHI: Delhi government is nearly ready with a plan to limit the number of guests at marriage functions, collect fines for wastage of food and water at these events and penalise farmhouses and reception centres if these functions turn out to be a traffic nightmare for commuters using roads connected to any venue.
However, there won’t be a uniform cap on the number of guests.The government plans to set separate limits for different localities. “The general volume of traffic and its flow, width of roads and traffic congestion will be the taken into consideration while fixing the limits,” said an official privy to the development.
The plan has been drafted since the Supreme Court took note of huge waste of food and water at lavish wedding parties and other functions and said it was “unacceptable” in a city witnessing drinking water shortage and even alleged starvation deaths. An official said the plan would also address major issues like fire safety and parking facilities at the venues by including new norms for both.
Delhi witnesses long jams in the evening due to wedding ceremonies organised across the city, particularly in Chhatarpur, Mahipalpur, Bijwasan, Punjabi Bagh and Rohini. Among the most affected roads are Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, GT Karnal Road, Old Rohtak Road and Najafgarh Road.
According to the existing norms, an official said, it is mandatory for a farmhouse that is spread over 2.5 acres to reserve one acre exclusively for parking. No vehicle should be parked outside that area at a farmhouse, motel or club but violations are rampant because of which roads get blocked.
The government will also specify ways to utilise excess food.
In December, chief secretary Vijay Kumar Dev had informed the Supreme Court that the government would frame a policy to put a limit on the number of guests and availability of food at such functions to avoid traffic congestion and prevent wastage. Since then, high-level meetings have been held to hammer out a balanced plan by addressing the needs of all stakeholders. The government seeks to create a balance between the requirements of the rich and the needs of common people, a source said.
“The process to decide the exact amount of fine to be collected for wastage of water and food, violation of parking norms and causing traffic congestion will be decided before the plans are formalised,” said an official.
The plans will be finalised after a meeting between chief secretary Dev and Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) chairman Bhure Lal, which is likely to be held soon.