No Designated Smoking Areas In Bengaluru Pubs & Hotels. BBMP Fines 392 Eateries

There are hundreds and thousands of hotels and pubs all around Bengaluru. While some are small with seating arrangements for a few people, others have setups to accommodate many people at once. And the Bharat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has set up some specific rules for these eateries in the Karnataka capital. All bars and restaurants in Bengaluru must have Designated Smoking Areas (DSAs) if their seating arrangement is for more than 30 people, as mandated by the BBMP. But is every eatery following this compulsion? Let’s find out!

The Bharat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Fined More Than 350 Eateries

Though it is very much a mandate for eateries to have Designated Smoking Areas (DSA) within the premises, hundreds of them do not have one. And now the BBMP has penalised a total of 392 restaurants for not working according to the specified guidelines. The rule state that pubs, restaurants, and eateries with seating arrangement for over 30 customers need to have a smoking area with automated doors and exhaust fans, and walls all around. It should be specified as the Smoking Area. Also, the DSAs cannot be close to the entry and exit gates.

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Eateries that did not follow the guidelines got penalised. Dr. KV Thrilok Chandra is the special commissioner (health) and he shared that BBMP has fined an overall amount of ₹1,10,500 from all the places that did not follow the rules. Bengaluru has 2,385 eateries with seating arrangements of more than 30 customers.

The BBHA Will Talk With BBMP Regarding The Issue

Having designated smoking areas is not a fitting solution for non-smoking eateries, shared PC Rao. PC Rao is the president of the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotel Association (BBHA) and he shared how non-smoking eateries need not have smoking areas. He also talked about how this is leading to many eateries having no-smoking areas. PC Rao shared how these do not promote smoking and even the Bruhat Bengaluru Hotel Association support this.

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He also stated that he is discussing to not having compulsory smoking areas in restaurants with the BBMP. Lastly, Rao also said that bars need to be checked as customers drink there and not in other restaurants.

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