With over hundred pubs and bars shut down and more than two hundred bars under scanner by the city's district administration, Gurugram is running dry in terms of prohibition of alcoholic beverages in pubs.
The situation can get worse and turn nightmarish for the pub owners and various city residents if the order to pull down shutters of pubs and bars in city's MG road comes to play.
The six kilometre stretch of MG road in the city comes under the NHAI and is also known as National Highway -236.
The Apex Court in its recent judgement on Friday has stated that all pubs and bars located at distance of 500 metres from national and state highways will not be allowed to serve alcohol.
Rarely known as NH-236, the following Apex Court order also makes a large number of pubs and bars at MG road susceptible of not being allowed to serve alcoholic beverages.
MG road also known as Mall mile is famous for its pubs and bars and is frequented largely by residents from the National Capital region.
Besides pubs and bars in the city there are also a large number of liquor vending units situated at the MG road.
"At present we have not been provided with any notice of not selling alcohol. We hope that we are not been served with any notice by the Government authorities of closing our liquor vending unit. It is shock for us to realise that even the MG road comes under the category of National Highways. I fear for my job and my livelihood," said Sanju, worker at a liquor vending unit in MG road.
He also stated that as a citizen, he respects the Supreme Court order. "However, now with the order in place the state Government must ensure jobs for those people who will be affected by it. Bouncers, bar attendants and sweepers employed in pubs and bars have much better employment opportunities than people like us who are expected to lose out because of the judgement," added Sanju.
Commenting on the likelihood of bars and pubs in MG road being closed following the Supreme Court order, Rohit Katyal, resident of Essel Towers said, "If the pubs and bars at MG road will be closed, this will be a blow to not only city's hyped up nightlife but also its economy. The profitability of pubs and bars contributes a great deal towards state government's exchequer. I hope the Haryana Government may take some emergency if the pubs and bars at MG road will be closed."
Speaking of the safety Katyal said, "There are already been lot of stringent measures announced by the State Government to prevent public drinking in the state. Yet, I do not find any improvement in the situation. You must act against the people who break the law but you must not make those people suffer whose livelihood depends on these sources.
After the Apex Court orders the Hotel association and the bar owners have highlighted that it's going to have an adverse impact on their business and have asked the state Government for intervention over the matter.