Soon, enjoy al fresco dining at south Delhi restaurants

The proposal was drafted after representatives of National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) had approached the civic body in June with a request to allow al fresco dining, citing huge losses due to the pandemic.

The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Tuesday approved a proposal to allow open-air dining on rooftops and lawns of South Delhi restaurants. The proposal will now be tabled in the House meeting later this month for a final approval.

The open-air dining policy does not allow cooking of food or barbecue in the open space. (HT file photo)

The proposal was drafted after representatives of National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) had approached the civic body in June with a request to allow al fresco dining, citing huge losses due to the pandemic.

“We have passed the policy to allow open-air dining at restaurants. The proposal will now be sent to the House meeting of the SDMC to get a final approval before being implemented. There should be adequate checks in place so that traders do not misuse the move,” a member of the SDMC standing committee said.

According to the policy, the SDMC will allow open-air dining at restaurants under its jurisdiction with certain riders. The draft policy says that open-air dining will be allowed only at those restaurants where open areas or terrace are privately owned, which means that there should be no encroachments on public land or footpaths. The open space should not have a direct opening to the main road.

The open-air dining policy does not allow cooking of food or barbecue in the open space. “Open spaces/terrace abutting licensed eating houses only will be allowed to be used as a service area. The food should be cooked in closed kitchens and only serving of food would be allowed open air. Liquor serving will only be permitted at licensed terraces and the restaurant owners will have to install view cutters and high parapet grilles to ensure that there is no inconvenience to other passersby,” the draft policy said.

A senior SDMC official said that open-air dining practices are already in place in major metropolitan cities such as Mumbai, Bengaluru and in many foreign countries as well.

There are nearly 2,000 restaurants and eateries in south Delhi. But, under the new policy, only those restaurants that already have a health trade licence, structural safety certificate and a no-ojection certificate from the fire department would be allowed to have al fresco seating.

The official said to avail of the benefit of the policy, traders will have to pay a licence fee to the civic body. “The fee would be ₹100 per square foot for normal restaurants and ₹200 per square foot for a star-rated (four-star and above) dining restaurants and hotels. This fee will be renewed every year. With this move, we are expecting to earn a revenue of ₹5 crore per annum, post-Covid,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

The draft policy also says that light music can be played in the open-air seating area but it should not be beyond the permissible decibel levels. “Live band performance will not be allowed under this arrangement,” the policy states.

Manpreet Singh, treasurer, NRAI, said allowing restaurants to serve food in privately owned open areas is very much relevant during Covid-19 scenarios as it would pose a lower risk of the virus spreading, when compared to closed rooms with air-conditioning.

He said there are many restaurants with open space available in markets such as Hauz Khas Village, Rajouri Garden, and Safdarjung Enclave, among others. “Internationally as well as in many Indian cities, you see people dining al fresco, but in Delhi, that was not allowed. Approval of open-air dining is a very positive step and it will go long way in helping restauranteurs recoup their business, which is down by over 70% as compared to the same period last year. We are hoping that other corporations such as the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (overseeing Lutyens Delhi) will follow suit,” Singh said.

Vijay Israni, vice-president, Green Park Market Association, said approval for open-air dining will come as a breather for the industry, which is facing huge losses owing to the lockdown and the low footfall on account of Covid-19.

“It is a welcome move. There are a number of restaurants in Green Park market where open space is available and guests these days insist on sitting in open areas. But we were not able to serve them food in open spaces as that was not allowed. With such a policy in place, we may see a rise in footfall and the move will also be beneficial to guests as well,” Israni said.