Most of us heard about the popular Monkey Bar shutting down in Bangalore, and then came a slew of other popular watering holes like BFlat and Humming Tree closing their shutters to the public. As of today, around 200 establishments have shut down in Bangalore, which has impacted the lives of many – people became unemployed, the working class (consumer-base) is left with no recreational zones and bar entrepreneurs are suffering a massive loss.
Amidst all this, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials were blamed by the industry and the Bangalore public, on accord of stringent government policies and its sudden implementation.
Let me explain the situation as simply as I can –
Bars and other food & beverage establishments not only give you a setting to drink and dine but also keep you entertained with music. For this, the establishments require a Public Entertainment License (PEL) to play recorded music or host live-music events. To obtain this license, establishments need to procure an Occupational Certificate (OC). Specific to Bangalore
For an Occupational Certificate, the establishments need a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the fire department. This requires establishments to abide by the standard building by-laws which include following fire safety guidelines such as having the kitchen away from the seating area, having stairs outside the building, proper fire exits, and have property setbacks.
More than 80% of the bars in Bangalore can not be issued an OC due to their building structure. Especially those in Indiranagar, where most bars are situated in residential buildings which were either bought or leased. This, in turn, has resulted in loss of business because not many would opt to drink in complete silence.
Many want the government to go easy on these policies – demanding that an OC should not be mandatory to obtain a PEL. Others believe that this is mandatory, because if the fire safety guidelines are not followed, the whole area of Indiranagar could go up in smoke.
The pro-bar public says there was a sudden implementation of policies that were being overlooked for a long time. And abiding by these policies now would mean reconstructing a building from scratch, which will be a huge expenditure for the entrepreneurs. Many bars have unwillingly shut down as it is financially wiser to do so than invest in the reconstruction of the buildings.
Understanding both sides of this sad coin has me being sympathetic towards the entrepreneurs who invested money into these bars and the people who lost their jobs, as well as supporting the BBMP policies so that Indiranagar does not become another Kamala Mills (remember the fire of 2017?).
As an alcohol enthusiast, I am definitely sad to see these bars shut down and Bangalore becoming a no-party land. To see iconic bars in Bangalore shut down has been heartbreaking, to say the least. What do you think? Tell us in the comments below.
