Bengaluru: Despite a statewide ban on hookah, the Shisha Cafes and Restaurants Association claims that some hookah businesses in Bengaluru continue to operate in establishments in the city center and on the outskirts.
The association said while some central areas like Kammanahalli, Indiranagar, and Gandhinagar are allegedly selling hookah discreetly, others on the outskirts, including Electronics City, Ramanagara, and Nandi Hills, are reportedly flouting the ban more openly by offering hookah service in their cafes.
Association president Mohammad Danish said that several cafes along Mysuru Road and BHEL Road are defying the blanket ban on hookah sale and consumption imposed by the Department of Health and Family Welfare on February 7, 2024.
"Nearly 10,000 employees across Bengaluru have been working in hookah bars and cafes. We have been trading hookah traditionally for a very long time. There is no ban on the consumption of alcohol or cigarettes, and despite its ban (of cigarettes) in public places, the consumption continues. Why ban only hookah then? Who cares about our livelihoods?” he argued and added that the association will continue to fight until the ban is lifted.
Danish further claimed that a cafe near Ramanagara in Kenchanakuppe was openly selling hookah, despite a recent raid in Basavanagudi. Interestingly, he noted that cafes in Koramangala and Church Street seemed to be complying with the ban.
Responding to DH’s query about flouting of the hookah ban, a senior police officer said their squad conducted strict surveillance and raids across the city. He said serious action would be taken if they discover the sale or consumption of hookah.
He also noted that the police would take citizens’ complaints seriously and take immediate action against those violating the hookah ban.
Published 12 May 2024, 20:56 IST