Open-air dining at South Delhi restaurants may soon be a possibility after the South Delhi Municipal Corporation approved a proposal that permits el fresco dining in lawns and on rooftops.
The proposal now awaits a final approval from the SDMC house. The permission, however, will be granted with certain caveats.
As per the draft policy, only those restaurants with privately owned open areas or terraces will be allowed to have open air dining. Encroachment on public land and footpaths will be prohibited. Food, however, must be cooked in closed kitchens and not in open spaces. The open spaces should be used solely as a service area, the draft read.
SDMC has around 2,000 restaurants that fall under its jurisdiction but to enable open air dining, they must already have a Noc, health trade licence and structural safety certificate.
The move was welcomed by many, who said the pandemic has eaten away revenues. Open air dining may even reduce the risk of transmission of the virus causing Covid-19 and may enhance footfall.