Govt bans firecrackers in clubs, restaurants ahead of X’mas, New Year

With Christmas and New Year round the corner, the Delhi Government has banned the use of firecrackers, including electric variants, in clubs, restaurants and bars across the city.

The decision comes in the wake of a recent Goa nightclub fire that resulted in the death of 25 people.

In an order issued on December 10, the Excise Department directed all club, restaurant and bar owners and licence holders to ensure that they have a valid NOC and adhere to all safety regulations with proper functional safety equipment.

“The use of any firecrackers, including electric versions, is strictly prohibited within the licensed premises,” the circular read.

“If anyone fails to comply with the restrictions, adequate action will be taken under the Delhi Excise Act-2009 and Delhi Excise Rules-2010. It may also lead to cancellation or suspension of licenses,” the circular said.

The department has issued a reminder to establishments, giving reference to a previous circular dated May 30, 2024. Establishments having floor space of 90 square meters or more must prioritise renewing their fire no-objection certificate (NOC) before expiry, and strictly adhere to all mandated fire safety standards.

Even smaller food and beverage outlets (those under 90 square meters) have been instructed to keep adequate fire safety measures in place.

According to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS), at present 891 hospitality establishments, including 801 restaurants, 52 hotels, and 38 clubs, hold an NOC from the department.

The national capital is estimated to have thousands of hotels and bars that are running without fire safety certificate, DFS statistics show.

As per the online hotel booking websites, the number of registered hotels in Delhi is between 2,000 and 3,000, while there are over 2,000 clubs in the national capital.

The data from the DFS shows that only around 2 per cent of these businesses possess a valid fire safety certificate. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police last week asked hotels and clubs in the city to review their compliance with fire safety norms.

“Establishments must ensure that extinguishers are functional, exits remain unobstructed and electrical load is monitored. We will deploy additional force outside nightclubs and keep a strict vigil to ensure that they adhere to all the rules,” said a police officer.