In April of this year, there were reports of raids on 17 pubs located in Sector 29 of Gurgaon. These raids aimed to uncover illegal hookah bars, and authorities have since conducted numerous inspections on restaurants that were illicitly serving hookahs. In a recent update, the Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, has officially announced a statewide ban on the service of hookahs to customers in hotels, restaurants, bars, and commercial establishments. This significant decision follows several months after Haryana Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta had called for a similar ban on serving hookahs in hotels, restaurants, pubs, bars, and nightclubs throughout the state.
Even though a ban on hookah was imposed in 2011, certain eateries persisted in serving it. Authorities have consistently carried out inspections and operations targeting numerous bars that were unlawfully providing hookah services. As per reports, the excise department has also conducted raids on Gurgaon bars suspected of serving flavored hookah.
A restaurateur from Gurgaon said, “The recent update is a strong message from the CM to those serving hookah on the sly. These are ahatas and some BYOB places that charge extra from customers and serve them hookah illegally. I am hoping that now there will be even stricter checks at such places.” A staff member from a restaurant in Sector 29 in Gurgaon added, “Some individuals in restaurants offer customers ‘herbal’ hookahs for an additional fee, though not within the restaurant premises. There should be rigorous checks on this.”
According to restaurant owners, the sale of herbal hookah is permitted in Delhi, whereas in Noida, the sale of hookah is prohibited.
“Restos in Noida have been prohibited from serving hookah for the last few years. And we will continue to adhere to the rules until any change is clearly specified by the authorities,” says Varun Khera, Noida chapter head of the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI).
