Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has issued a directive shutting down all rooftop restaurants across the city, citing safety concerns, reported ABP Ananda on Friday.
The decision comes a day after chief minister Mamata Banerjee visited Celica Park, Park Street on her way back from the fire-ravaged Rituraj Hotel and flagged her concerns about fire safety measures.
“I had information about this particular place, so I showed it to you all,” she told reporters as she was accompanied by Mayor Firhad Hakim, Kolkata police commissioner Manoj Verma, fire and emergency services minister, Sujit Basu and industries minister Sashi Panja.
“The mayor, police commissioner and fire services minister will meet and arrive at a decision,” Mamata said after the visit.
Authorities shut five bars and restaurants–Black Cat, AMPM, Moti Mahal Delux, Barbeque Nation and LMNOQ- in Celica Park, formerly known as Magma House, on Park Street on Thursday.
Inspections by the CM revealed widespread violations —rows of LPG cylinders stored on racks in multiple tiers on one side of the building’s entrance came to light after the chief minister instructed officials to lift iron shutters that covered them.
On April 30, 14 people lost their lives in a devastating blaze at a hotel in Kolkata’s bustling Barabazar area. Preliminary investigations had pointed to gross negligence in fire safety measures.
Following the high-level meeting between the KMC, Kolkata Police, and the fire brigade, Mayor Firhad Hakim now has declared that rooftop restaurants would not be permitted to operate "for now."
The municipal body has issued strict guidelines stating that "roofs like stairs are not owned by anyone, they cannot be sold."
The police have been tasked with assisting the KMC in enforcing these directives.
Rooftop dining had become an integral part of Kolkata’s culinary and cultural landscape.
From newly opened eateries tucked away in narrow alleys to long-established restaurants, rooftop dining spaces have grown in popularity — particularly in Park Street, south Kolkata and Salt Lake — offering not just food but also a curated ambience with warm lighting, open skies, and live concerts.
While the move is aimed at ensuring public safety, it has come as a bitter blow to both patrons and restaurateurs alike — signaling a dramatic shift in the city’s leisure dining scene.