NEW DELHI: Restaurants, pubs and bars operating from small and congested buildings of the posh Khan Market area will be made fire safe in the coming days. Delhi Fire Services will soon start fresh inspection of the food joints at the popular marketplaces of New Delhi that have been running without any fire clearance for years.
“Khan Market area comes under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and we are awaiting buildings plans from the civic agency to act further. As soon as we get the details, officials will start inspecting the restaurants, pubs and bars, which have been operating in the area without fire safety certificate,” said Atul Garg, Chief Fire Officer, Delhi Fire Services.
Officials said that all eateries, pubs and bars will have to make necessary arrangements to get fire clearance. “Most of the restaurants are operating on the first floor of the buildings which were meant for residential purposes, and that too without proper fire safety arrangement that include separate entry and exit points,” added Garg.
Earlier, fire safety certificates used to be issued on the basis of seating capacity of a restaurant. The rule says any restaurant having less than 50 seats doesn’t need to get fire clearance. Officials said that now the seating capacity will be calculated on the basis of area and restaurants will have to make fire safety arrangements on that basis.
There are over 40 restaurants, pubs and bars in the Khan Market and officials said that only three or four have got clearance from the fire department.
Recently, Delhi High Court had pulled up authorities by pointing out that eateries operating from the first floor flats were a fire trap.