BMC places vertical limit on rooftop shed

Mumbai: City restaurants, which construct monsoon sheds on rooftops to service patrons, are likely to face a major crisis. Now, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will allow them to construct a shed of only one metre on their terraces during monsoon. It means that rooftop restaurants have to effectively keep their business shut for the entire monsoon period, said hospitality experts.

“Henceforth permissions for monsoon sheds would be issued only up to one-metre height from the ground level so that it is not misused in any way,” said a senior civic official.

According to civic officials, restaurants were allowed to construct sheds during the monsoon time from June to September on the condition that it will be removed after the rainy season is over. However, even after the monsoon, restaurants continued to use sheds to offer services to their patrons, thus violating the conditions.

In the aftermath of the Kamala Mills Compound fire, it was found that one of the restaurants was using its monsoon shed to serve patrons. The BMC has decided to take strict action against such restaurants.

“From the fire safety point of view, BMC chief Ajoy Mehta has called for strict action against restaurants for misusing the monsoon shed area. He has asked that such sheds be  demolished immediately,” said a senior civic official. Restaurants will also have to remove wooden staircases, coverings and partitions as they are found to be dangerous for fire safety. Reacting to the decision to limit the height of monsoon shed to one metre, Adarsh Shetty, president of Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association said, “This is as good as keeping rooftop restaurants shut during monsoons. Such a low height means people will have to crawl on the terrace. The rooftop policy does not hold any meaning if the business is closed for four months in a year.”