New Delhi: There is no beating roadside dhabas when it comes to cheap and tasty food on the go. They may not be hygienic, but they are popular. In Delhi, everyone from the daily labourer to the office babu depend on these eateries for their daily meals. In fact, the paranthas of ITO and Moolchand are so famous that they attract people from all parts of the city.
However, the recent high court order may well sp ell the demise of these popular eating joints. With the court adamant on shutting down unlicensed dhabas, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi estimates that only 20% of the 20,000-odd dhabas will be up and running by the end of the month — when the court deadline of 30 days from October 16 nears its end.
On Thursday, Times City visited many illegal dhabas and found them doing brisk business, imminent closure notwithstanding. Most of those eating there expressed unhappiness with the court order, citing the high cost of a meal in a restaurant as one of the reasons.
Said Amrit Chawla, who works in a publishing house in ITO: "I usually eat lunch at a roadside eatery near my office. I get rajma chawal or vegetable and chapatis for Rs 25. There are hardly any restaurants nearby and I can’t go very far for lunch. If they close down the dhabas, I won’t know what to do. Food in restaurants are usually expensive."
For some, the dhabas are an escape from the confines of office. Said Rita Singh, who works in a shop at Lajpat Nagar: "My colleagues and I head out for tea and samosas every evening to a nearby dhaba and chat, enjoying a break from work."
Meanwhile, most of the dhabas at ITO do not have licences and while MCD officials visit the area every few weeks, the dhaba-owners usually get away by paying a bribe or closing down their outlets for a few days.
Near New Delhi Railway Station, the eateries cater to people waiting to board their trains. While some are legal, they are guilty of encroachments. Said Harband from Punjabi Rasoi near the station: "We applied for a licence a few years ago, but it was rejected. We have applied again. The MCD staff come sometimes and take away our utensils. We employ 10 people and cater to office-goers, rickshaw-pullers and tourists. If we are forced to close down, it will be an inconvenience to all, including workers who will lose their jobs." The dhaba has been around for over 40 years now.
Most of the dhabas do business to the tune of Rs 5,000 to Rs 30,000 monthly, , depending on size, and employ upto 12 people. While they are usually crowded, the hygiene standards leave much to be desired. Most of the food lies uncovered, attracting swarms of flies, and cleaning the surroundings does not top the agenda.
At Moolchand, the parantha stalls draw large crowds from nearby colleges like LSR and paying-guest accommodations in the area. While they have been dislocated from their original place due to Metro construction work, at they have shifted business to the opposite side of the road. Said a worker at a dhaba at Moolchand: "We are open till 11 pm and a lot of people come late at night to eat. Even if we are asked to move from here, we will function from elsewhere as the demand for this kind of food will remain."
Said V K Monga, chairman of medical relief and public health committee: "Only around 20% of the roadside eateries in Delhi have licences and there are over 20,000 eateries in the city." Added K S Mehra, commissioner MCD: "We will comply with the high court order. I have directed deputy commissioners of all 12 zones and the health department to initiate action which began from Thursday. They will first have to carry out a survey to determine how many illegal dhabas are there. We have been taking action against illegal dhabas over the years but they keep coming back."
The licences of dhabas are issued at the zonal level. The basic requirement is that the person opening it should have ownership proof and it should function from a commercial area. No unauthorised construction is allowed and the minimum size of the takeaway joint should be 100 sq ft.
Moreover, the roadside eateries are required to have running water, proper ventilation and a clean kitchen. All cooking utensils and storage vessels should be covered to avoid contamination, the food items should be kept far from waste matter and a high standard of personal hygiene should be maintained by workers at all times, besides other requirements. Not even 5% of these guidelines laid down in the DMC Act under Section 417/421 are met.
