Hookah parlour owners to unite

Two days after the Bombay High Court directed the BMC to incorporate the rules under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) in the licence agreements given to eating houses and restaurants, hookah parlours are planning to form a committee that will guide others to follow the BMC and police norms.

Hookah parlour owners to unite

Two days after the Bombay High Court directed the BMC to incorporate the rules under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA)u00a0in the licence agreements given to eating houses and restaurants, hookah parlours are planning to form a committee that will guide others to follow the BMC and police norms. The court has given the BMC six weeks' time to implement its orders.

Owners of hookah parlours are uniting to protect their best
interests against the anti-hookah sentiment. Pic/Suresh KK

"We are happy that the BMC will finally have some law related to hookahs. We have no problem with following the norms but we can do so only if there are norms, which at present do not exist. We are still following the smoking norms in case of hookah parlours because hookah is just a different form of smoking. If the BMC comes up with a law, it will be of help to everyone," said Rahul Kanal, owner of Frontier Curries and Kebabs restaurant at Andheri.

Kanal added after Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik made a plea that appealed to the HC to put a complete ban on smoking in restaurants and eating houses, management of hookah parlours are planning to form a committee for the same. "We don't want any of the existing parlours or parlours that are expected to come up to violate BMC or police norms. Hence, we are planning to form a committee of five to represent hookah parlours," he said.

Under the Prohibition of Smoking in Public Places Rules, 2008, smoking is banned in restaurants and places where food and drinks can be purchased (including surrounding open spaces containing refreshment rooms, banquet halls, discotheques, canteens, coffee houses, pubs, bars, and airport lounges). This ban is however applicable only in restaurants which have a capacity for seating less than 30 persons.

Smoking is permitted in restaurants with a seating capacity of 30 or more but in separate rooms on the premises. No food or beverages can be served in such smoking rooms as per rules. Shakil Bhure, owner of Mughal Sarai restaurant at Bandra and La Kebabiya at Lokhandwala (Andheri), both of which offer hookahs, will be on the committee. "We are not hookah parlours; we are restaurants that serve hookah in the smoking room. According to BMC norms, any kind of smoking is permitted but only in the smoking room. We are forming this committee to protect our interests. A lawyer will be hired from our end too. This association will consist of a panel of restaurants that serve hookahs," said Bhure.

Another hookah joint owner from Borivali agreed with Bhure's point of view. "This is unfair towards hookah providers. We are not serving anything illegal. It's an age-old tradition that was followed by our ancestors and the new generation is following suit. We are in no way to be blamed," he stated.

HC fact file
The Court's directive to the Mumbai police and the BMC is as follows:u00a0
>> The court has sought details of the action taken against police officers for failing to respond to complaints against hookah parlours.
>> There is an urgent need to incorporate the terms and conditions of the Act in the licence agreements of hookah parlours. Any violation of the Act would invite revocation of the licence.