Eateries asked to discard charcoal tandoors, switch to green fuel by July 8

BMC mandates restaurants switch from charcoal to electric tandoors by July 8, 2025, following a HC order, or face penalties and license revocation.

MUMBAI: Your favourite tandoori rotis and tandoori chicken with a smoky, barbecue flavour will soon be a thing of the past. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has started issuing notices to restaurants and dhabas using charcoal tandoors and warned them to switch to electric appliances by July 8. Failure to comply will lead to stringent action, including revocation of license, penalties and legal proceedings.

Mumbai, India - May 13, 2019: Foods at stalls installed to serve people during Ramzan in Mumbai, India, on Monday, May 13, 2019. (Photo by Shashi S Kashyap/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

Pursuant to the Bombay high court order of January 9, 2025, which mandated that those using wood, coal or other conventional fuels within BMC limits must transition to cleaner energy sources such as LPG, PNG, CNG, electricity, or other green fuels, the BMC’s G South ward medical officer of health (MOH) has been issuing the first notices since February 10. The notices have been issued to 84 open-air eateries, dhabas, hotels, restaurants and tandoor establishments.

After the HC order, two circulars were issued from the BMC’s environment department dated January 14 and the health department dated February 6 to all MOHs in all 25 administrative wards. “MOHs must ensure that establishments using conventional fuels transition to cleaner alternatives, including those using them partially for tandoors or other purposes. The deadline for discontinuing conventional fuels is July 8, 2025. Trade licenses will be marked as ‘Not To Renew’ in the SAP system until the transition is completed. No new licenses will be issued to establishments using conventional fuels from this date onward,” stated the notice.

Virendra Mohite, MOH of G South ward, confirmed that 84 restaurants were served notices for having charcoal tandoors in their premises. “We have sent these notices in order to see that tandoor bhattis switch to electric tandoors,” he said. “The action started the day before yesterday.”

A civic official from G South ward, who did not want to be named, said that restaurant owners had stated that the switch to electrical appliances would compromise the taste of the food served. According to Sudhakar Shetty, president of AHAR or the Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association, the court order mentions only bakeries and not restaurants for this kind of action. “We are seeking legal opinion on this,” he said.

Mohite, when asked, said the HC order was applicable to restaurants as well. “The court has ordered the BMC to initiate action against all commercial establishments using coal, which includes bakeries and restaurants,” he said.