BMC to unite with Mumbai police to ban hookah parlours

Mahadeshwar met police commissioner DD Padsalgikar and sought his cooperation in conducting raids and penalising hookah parlour owners.

The Mumbai police and the Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) may soon join hands to crack down on unregulated hookah parlours in the city.

Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar (extreme left) submits a letter to police commissioner DD Padsalgikar, seeking his cooperation against hookah parlours, on Wednesday. (Bhushan Koyande/HT Photo)

City mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar on Wednesday said such establishments must be banned. He met police commissioner DD Padsalgikar and sought his cooperation in conducting raids and penalising hookah parlour owners.

“It is a matter of grave concern for me that a majority of teenagers are attracted to hookah. The BMC will crack down on all parlours in the months to come,” said the mayor.

After the meeting, Mumbai police spokesperson Deepak Devraj said, “The mayor has informed us that they (BMC) will take action against hookah parlours, which operate under the smoking room licence.” The police are ready to raid parlours if the BMC shares information about them, said Devraj.

According to the BMC, Mumbai has between 500 and 650 hookah parlours. Most of them are situated around colleges. Mahadeshwar said, “These parlours are not legal and have no permission either from the police or BMC to serve hookah. Parlour owners get permission only to have a smoking zone from a zonal deputy municipal commissioner.” The BMC had ruled in 2014 that smoking zones will be allowed in restaurants, with a condition that they were not allowed to sell any other product.

Nitin Dicholkar, a Shiv Sena leader who accompanied the mayor, said, “Parlours have become a hub for anti-social activities.”