Lodhi restaurant sealed over fire safety norms
New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has sealed Lodi-The Garden Restaurant and two commercial establishments in Connaught Place for violation of fire safety norms. The move comes after the Mumbai fire incident at a resto-pub on December 29 that had raised safety concerns at the commercial establish
Published -
Jan 19, 2018 4:24 AM
New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has sealed Lodi-The Garden Restaurant and two commercial establishments in Connaught Place for violation of fire safety norms. The move comes after the Mumbai fire incident at a resto-pub on December 29 that had raised safety concerns at the commercial establishments, including eateries and restaurants, in the capital. Fourteen people had died in the Mumbai fire. Out of the thousands of restaurants and eateries in the capital, only 400 have got no-objection certificate (NOC) from Delhi Fire Service. Many of these facilities misuse a norm that exempts restaurants with the seating capacity of less than 50 from requiring a fire safety nod. Following the Mumbai incident, the council deployed teams to inspect the restaurants in the high-end markets coming under its jurisdiction. A senior NDMC official said the teams had been deployed since December 30 to inspect each and every commercial establishment. Connaught Place alone has around 200 restaurants and lounges of various sizes. “We have inspected all restaurants in Connaught Place, Khan Market and other areas. We have sealed the Garden restaurant in Lodhi Garden and Playboy restaurant in Connaught Place along with a shop for not adhering to the fire safety norms,” said a senior official. The authorities of Lodi — The Garden Restaurant and Playboy refused to comment. The NDMC official said nine restaurants were issued show-cause notices in the first week of January for violating fire safety norms. “We have been given directions to stop any such violation in the area,” he added. The council has already banned use of rooftop areas by restaurants after roof of two buildings partially collapsed in February last year. “We have been monitoring regularly and have issued notices to all restaurants using terrace areas as it is not permitted under the licence norms. They have stopped using the area. Any establishment found violating the rule will be sealed and their licence will be cancelled,” added the official.
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