Restaurants without fire NOC (No Objection Certificate) in Khan Market and Connaught Place are likely to face the heat of sealing from Wednesday when the matter is due for hearing in the Delhi High Court, sources said. The 15-day-period given to these establishments for procuring the said certificates is already over.
Senior officials of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) -- catering to Lutyen's Delhi -- on Monday said that even past the deadline, which was April 20, only a handful of owners have submitted the NOC and building plan.
"We are waiting for the hearing on Wednesday. In case the establishments fail to provide the required documents such as NOC or a written approval from the fire department, we may have to seal the units," said a senior officer.
The civic body's health department, which issues licenses to these establishments, had on April 5 issued notices to 41 restaurant owners, mostly operating from the first and second floors of Khan Market to procure NOCs within 15 days.
The Khan Market Restaurant Owners Association had, however, approached the court over the same. The court had dismissed the interim relief plea filed by the traders asking them to rather challenge the NDMC's order in individual petitions.
Officials maintained that restaurants in the market have been flouting safety norms for a long time and approach court each time notices are issued to buy time.
The health department in January this year had made it necessary for restaurants of all types to have a fire safety certificate to be in operation. At the same time, it had issued notices to 13 restaurants for the same.
Also, in a mass sealing drive earlier this year, various points fixtures and points in 16 establishments of Khan Market were sealed including The Big Chill Cafe, Civil House, Blue Door Cafe, Craft Kitchen, Charter House, La Bodega, Mama Goto, Town Hall, Parallel and Fab India, among others.
