Photo: PTI
Kolkata: In response to a tragic hotel fire in central Kolkata that claimed the lives of fifteen people, including two children, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has decided to implement a citywide ban on rooftop restaurants and other commercial activities on building rooftops.
The KMC plans to enforce this through Building Rule 117/4, which mandates that terraces on the top floor of buildings must remain accessible to all and cannot be divided or commercialized.
Authorities will soon begin issuing formal shutdown notices to rooftop businesses, warning that failure to comply will result in legal consequences.
Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim stressed that urban safety is a shared responsibility and not solely the duty of the administration. He made it clear that the practice of selling rooftops or staircases would no longer be allowed and that illegal rooftop establishments would be strictly dealt with, TNIE reported.
A high-level committee comprising all key departments has been formed on the orders of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The committee will meet on Monday and Tuesday and submit a detailed report within 15 days.
The mayor has also issued a warning against illegal godowns and the unauthorized commercial use of dharamshalas, assuring that firm legal measures will soon be taken to protect public safety.
His growing concern over the rapid increase in rooftop cafés and eateries across Kolkata follows two recent fire incidents.
One occurred at a now-shuttered rooftop restaurant on the busy Camac Street, and another broke out just days later in the food court of Acropolis Mall in Kasba, prompting the evacuation of hundreds from the high-rise office complex.
According to senior officials at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, the mayor recently led a meeting focused on addressing the surge in rooftop establishments throughout the city.
A senior official from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) stated that a team will be dispatched to inspect rooftop commercial establishments, including cafés and restaurants.
The inspections will focus on kitchen facilities and verify whether the necessary approvals have been obtained to legally operate on rooftops.
Officials also mentioned that the mayor was unhappy about the rise of such rooftop businesses without the KMC’s prior knowledge. He has directed the team to submit a detailed report within a week.
Meanwhile, senior fire department authorities highlighted that a key condition for receiving fire clearance is ensuring that rooftops offer adequate space for people to gather safely before evacuating during an emergency.