HC orders inspection of Hauz Khas clubs to curb violation of safety norms

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday directed the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to conduct an inspection of Hauz Khas village area to chart out a site plan indicating the width of the street, location of restaurants as well as positioning of their exits.

A division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal also asked SDMC to file a status report on a fire that broke out in August last year in one of the buildings in Hauz Khas village areas killing a 37-year-old man.

Questioning the feasibility of running a number of restaurants in the area, the bench said: "It should be enough that if a fire happen, there is no way to get out of there."

Hauz Khas Village -- a hub of restaurants, pubs, art galleries and fashion studios -- in south Delhi came under the scanner of the High Court after PILs said that a number of restaurants were running illegally, bars serving liquor without licence and no safety norms were being followed by them.

There is gross violation of emergency exit, according to the pleas. In all, 120 restaurants and pubs have come up in the area in the past 10 years without any building plan approval from the SDMC.

The high court said it was concerned about the safety of public who visit the area.

The Delhi Police informed the court that there are around 5,000 footfalls on weekdays and over 15,000 on weekends.

The court has now fixed the matter for further hearing on September 5.

The pleas sought a complete ban on pubs and bars running illegally in the village.