Hauz Khas Village has earned great popularity for its eating joints, fashion and art galleries and other business outlets and has basically become a hub of illegal commercial establishments that is a constant threat to your life considering the fact that they hardly follow the basic mandatory legal precautions.
Surprisingly, out of 67 restaurants in Hauz Khas Village, only four to five eateries have the No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the fire department and MCD. Not only this, but illegal bars that are running without liquor license that is issued by licensing unit of the Delhi Police. ‘It is a matter of investigation, that despite all the concerned authorities including fire department, Delhi Police, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Pollution Control Committee; why has there been no action taken as yet to shut this illegal business,’ ChowLatina Chowpoo, a north-eastern residing in the area said after a fire broke out at the terrace of a restaurant in Hauz Khas Village.
According to a data, apart from the 67 eateries there are 60 fashion stores, 45 art galleries and 21 film studios operational in the food district in Hauz Khas village. ‘Hauz Khas Village is a fire trap!’ says CEO of The Foodie Surdie Avininder Singh who has been actively involved with quite a few restaurants in the area. ‘There are no exit stairs, service stairs are inaccessible. There is ideally only one way in and one way out. It is not that individual restaurants don’t have fire-fighting equipments and safety standards in place but god forbid if a major fire breaks out, it is almost impossible to avoid serious trouble,’ he adds.
Singh also pointed out that the roads in Hauz Khas Village are too narrow with wires hanging dangerously everywhere. ‘Firemen won’t even be able to get to the site on an emergency, he says. Most restaurants in the area have zero disregard for the basic norms of health and safety, say most people who have worked integrally with properties there.
Illegal commercial houses with no NOC from concerned departments including the essential permission to serve alcohol are existing in Defence Colony, Greater Kailash Part-I&II (M block, N Block), Khan Market, New Friends Colony too.
As per records maintained by the licensing department of Delhi Police, there are approximately 5,000 restaurants in Delhi, of which 700 have the licence to serve liquor. The licensing fee starts from Rs 6 lakh and goes upto Rs 30 lakh depending on the capacity of the restaurant/pub.
In 2013, the Delhi High Court had directed the owners of these outlets to respond as to why did they not have a health or liquor license from the excise department, clearance from the fire department or approval from the department of tourism of the state government. The owners then promised to complete the legal work and have asked for some time. However, since then, none of them have taken either of the permissions.