Thirty roof-top pubs and restaurants in Bengaluru could soon be without power and have their licence revoked if they do not comply with fire safety norms.
The Karnataka Fire Safety and Emergency Services department continued its crackdown on rooftop pubs and bars in the city and has written to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Electric Supply Company (Bescom) directing them to withdraw occupancy certificate and cut power supply of thirty roof-top pubs and restaurants for violating fire safety rules.
The move comes two months after the department inspected rooftop pubs and restaurants and issued notices to establishments that did not follow fire safety norms.
The Fire department’s list includes Humming Tree and B-Flat in Indiranagar, Church’s Inn on Church Street.
Sarfaraz Khan, Joint Commissioner, Health, BBMP, speaking to The Hindu said, “We will cancel the trade licence and withdraw the OC of these establishments.”
The fire department had initially sprung into action by sending a set of notices to pubs in the city on December 30. The department had identified high-rise buildings as the first priority in inspecting whether fire safety norms are being followed. Buildings taller than 15 metres in height are considered high-rise buildings.
Among these, the civic agencies are looking at buildings with high footfalls first, before going on to inspect all high-rise buildings.
The set of notices to restaurants and bars came following a fire at Kamala Mills compound in Mumbai on December 28 that claimed 14 lives.
On January 4, the BBMP issued closure notices to 69 establishments, mainly rooftop bars and restaurants in the city, for violation of fire safety norms. Four days later, Kailash Bar and Restaurant, a 70-year old building in Kalasipalya in the city, went up in flames killing five people.