Hindustan Times ST (Mumbai) - Live
Banquet halls stop taking bookings due to violations
With guests not following norms and halls sealed, owners not taking any more bookings until June
KALYAN: Most banquet halls in the twin cities of Kalyan and Dombivli have stopped taking new bookings until June due to a series of violations by wedding guests and subsequent sealing of the halls.
Till the first week of April, the twin cities witnessed many violations at weddings and birthday parties following which the authorities started sealing the banquet halls.
The hall owners claimed that they have to face the music as wedding guests do not abide by the safety norms.
Till April first week, marriages in the presence of 900-1,000 people were common in Kalyan–Dombivli, while the increase in daily cases too were 900-1,000.
The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) health department has blamed the public gatherings at weddings, engagements, birthday parties and other such events for the hike in the Covid cases in Kalyan and Dombivli.
The civic health department, however, claimed that it was difficult to trace how many people were infected due to the gatherings as the cases are increasing rapidly.
“The major cause of increase is due to the gatherings happening everywhere. We cannot trace exactly how many are infected due to such gatherings. What we are doing now is taking strict action till April 30 by sealing them completely and not allowing any such gatherings,” said Dr Pratibha Panpatil, epidemic officer.
So far, seven cases have been registered by the Kalyan zone 3 police at their different stations against those organising crowded weddings during the pandemic.
The first case registered was in March, against a 25-year-old man who returned from Turkey, tested positive and attended a wedding in Dombivli. A recent case was two booked for arranging a crowded wedding in an open space at Kolegaon Dombivli earlier this week.
Hall managers and caterers, however, feel that the families are not worried about the consequences.
“For most, a wedding is a status symbol and so they are ready to pay the fine. Most of these crowded weddings are of families of politicians or businessmen or from richer sections of the society for whom the fine amount is meagre. We mention to them the limitations, however when the actual day of wedding arrives, we see more people coming in,” said Santosh Deshpande, who runs a catering business in Kalyan.
A representative of Kashish marriage hall located at Haji Malang Road, Kalyan (E), who did not wish to be named, said, “We are not taking bookings for any new wedding or other ceremonies this month. We have a few weddings already planned this month, which will be organised with only 50 persons allowed. Next bookings will only happen in June.”
Owner of the Samel Mangal Karyalay at Lal Chowki in Kalyan (W), Vikas Samel, said, “Since there is a restriction imposed, we only allow 50 people for the wedding. We make it a point to the families that no crowding is allowed. Now the civic body is sealing halls, we are anyways not taking bookings because organising the wedding with just 50 persons is a loss for us too.”
Vivek Pansare, deputy commissioner of police, Kalyan, said, “Norms are violated at lavish weddings and we have decided to take a strict approach towards them”