Ahmedabad: Hookah lovers rejoice! Your favourite hookah bar will soon re-open in the city.
There are a few strings attached though as the newly opened bars would have to adhere to a fresh set of guidelines floated by the police.The notification will be effective from June 10.
For one, the guidelines say that only 30% of the restaurant space should be allocated to a hookah bar.
The hookah bar would also have to be built in such a way that non-smokers would not have to pass by the bar. Billboards bearing ‘No smoking’ signs should also be installed in each area. The use of nicotine is also banned in the hookah bar.
On the other hand, bar owners have been requested to set up hookah bars in a separate cabin and not in the common plot of a restaurant. The police have also asked owners to not let those below the age of 18 enter the hookah bar.
The police have also said that the cabin of a hookah bar needs to be transparent. The cabin also needs to be built in one single room. No separate cabins can be constructed for a hookah bar.
The notification further says that lighting arrangements have to be made on the way leading to the bar. CCTV cameras should also be installed inside the bar to keep a tab on illegal activities, the notification says. CCTV records should be handed over to the respective police station within a week.
The notification further says that lighting arrangements have to be made on the way leading to the bar. CCTV cameras should also be installed inside the bar to keep a tab on illegal activities, the notification says. CCTV records should be handed over to the respective police station within a week.
According to the guidelines, to ascertain the age of a customer, security should be beefed up and his driving licence, election card, passport and birth certificate should be checked by hookah bar authorities.
The guidelines further state that the flavour used in the hookah should be checked by the in-charge officer of the respective police station and a sample should be sent to the FSL for testing.
If at all the report confirms that objectionable substances have been mixed with the hookah, then action will be taken against the guilty.
The guidelines also say that a register which includes name and other details of the customer should be maintained by the hookah bar.
Besides this, the notification says that the guidelines will be
applicable to restaurant which is at least a year old and has a seating arrangement for 30 or more than 30 people.
applicable to restaurant which is at least a year old and has a seating arrangement for 30 or more than 30 people.
Source: DnaIndia
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