In December 2018, the apex court of the country raised concerns over food wastage at big functions. Going by that, the social function policy was drafted by the Delhi government in March to put a cap on the food that went to waste at social functions held in the country’s national capital. The draft will likely be notified in July.

A four-member committee was formed to draft the policy, which included the principal secretary of urban development, the principal secretary of health, the chief executive officer of Delhi Jal Board, and a member secretary of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee.

Implementing this would mean there would be an upper limit on the number of people who can be invited to a wedding or any other fanfare also. The policy will additionally make it mandatory to distribute surplus food to the underprivileged through NGOs. The state government has also informed the Supreme Court about its plan to put this into practice soon to avoid traffic jams and also reduce wastage of food.

To make sure the citizens adhere to the policy, all wedding organisers and caterers will be required to register themselves with non-profit organisations for proper management of leftover food.

Moreover, they would need to acquire necessary permits such as a FSSAI license from the Delhi Department of Food Safety, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The number of invitees at any social function will have to be limited to the amount approved by the Urban Local Body (ULB) for respective locations as per the new policy, reported The Times of India.

Horse-drawn carriage, music band performance outside the venue, and use of firearms will be banned, while DJ sets will have to abide by noise pollution levels.

Periodical inspections will be carried out to ensure that the rules are not flouted. In case of violations, venue operators will be required to pay hefty fines. A first-time violation will be fined Rs 5 lakh, followed by Rs 10 lakh for the second offence, and Rs 15 lakh for the third.

Random, complaint-based inspections will also be carried out by ULB officials. While making note of the violations, the official will, however, ensure that the function is not disrupted.

Also, all celebrations held must ensure they meet pollution rules and not contribute to degrading the environment in any way.

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