Bhopal on brink of tipping point as spots sans licences serve tipplers

Time of India

27-04-2025

Bhopal: There are areas on the outskirts of the city where a number of establishments have cropped up and they serve liquor illegally to people without any valid licences, placing the city on the precipice of a tipping point.
And on the top of these violations, instances of drinking and driving by misguided youth and residents are on the rise, as these restaurants operate well into the night sans much regulation.
'Late-Night Accidents Up'
All of this results in late-night accidents, especially in the Kerwa-Kaliyasot area. A local living in the Kerwa Dam area, wishing anonymity, said that one or two road accidents take place every other day in the Kerwa/Kaliasot area. Most of them occur due to drunk driving. "At night, passing through Kerwa Dam Road and Kaliasot is risky not because they are areas with wild animal movement but due to the people returning drunk from the restaurants that have opened in the area." the local said.
A growing number of restaurants on Bhopal's outskirts—including areas such as Gandhi Nagar, Airport Road, Indore/Sehore Road in Khajuri, Ratibad, Misrod, Raisen Road, Ayodhya Nagar, Ayodhya Bypass, and Gyarah Meel Bypass—reportedly allow people to consume liquor in their establishments sans any valid licenses.
Noise Pollution Too Follows Many of these establishments also offer hookahs and continue operations well into the night with loud music, enabling noise pollution and all of this many a times leads to scenes of public nuisance with young men fighting with each other.
Some of these restuarants charge their customers extra for allowing them to consume liquor on their premises, while others offer this service as complimentary for choosing their restaurant for parties or dinners.
Many farmhouses with pools and other facilities in the outer areas are also easily available for such parties. These places attract not only young crowds and students but also families, creating a façade of legitimacy while openly flouting laws.
People bring their liquor bottles with them and consume them openly in these establishments. Beyond legal violations, they are becoming significant contributors to the rise in late-night road accidents. People visiting such restaurants, mostly located on city outskirts, often leave these venues under the influence, engaging in drunk driving and endangering not only their lives but also public safety.
Raids Don't Translate To Regulation In These Areas Despite routine raids and case registrations by city police and the Excise Department, these restaurants continue to repeat the offences without any fear. In light of this, senior police officials have announced plans to initiate preventive actions against such repeat offenders. Senior officers maintained that to make the city drugs and illegal liquor free, the Ankush (Narco) Helpline number - 7587628290 has been issued by the police, on which any person can give information about such activities. The name and address of the informer will be kept confidential.
A senior cop admitted that almost all the restaurants that mushroomed on the city outskirts allow liquor and hookah consumption on their premises without having valid licenses.
Drunk-Driving By Youth
Mostly youngsters can be seen flocking to these restaurants not only at night but during the daytime too. Consuming liquor in restaurants while families are sitting beside them on different tables is now becoming the new normal. Mostly these youngsters, boys and girls, visit these spots with their friends in SUVs and cars and leave drunk. They indulge in drunk driving, and accidents follow.
He said that especially in the Kerwa Dam Road area in Ratibad, Airport Road area in Gandhi Nagar, Hoshangabad Road area in Misrod, and Indore Road/Sehore Road area in Khajuri, a large number of such restaurants have mushroomed. These restaurants are now opening in the residential areas behind the NLIU. Most of them remain fully occupied during the evening and late-night hours. The restaurants play DJs and sound systems at loud noise, especially during weekends, creating noise pollution in the area in the city. On the weekends, long queues of cars can be seen parked outside the restaurants on the road.
Another local, wishing anonymity, said that such spots act as breeding grounds for drug peddlers and other criminal activities. They lure youngsters into their net and supply them drugs and/or involve them in crimes.
Speaking on the issue, police commissioner Harinarayanchari Mishra said that he has issued strict orders in this concern to all the police stations in the city, and there is a zero-tolerance policy on this issue.
Bhopal: There are areas on the outskirts of the city where a number of establishments have cropped up and they serve liquor illegally to people without any valid licences, placing the city on the precipice of a tipping point.
And on the top of these violations, instances of drinking and driving by misguided youth and residents are on the rise, as these restaurants operate well into the night sans much regulation.
'Late-Night Accidents Up'
All of this results in late-night accidents, especially in the Kerwa-Kaliyasot area. A local living in the Kerwa Dam area, wishing anonymity, said that one or two road accidents take place every other day in the Kerwa/Kaliasot area. Most of them occur due to drunk driving. "At night, passing through Kerwa Dam Road and Kaliasot is risky not because they are areas with wild animal movement but due to the people returning drunk from the restaurants that have opened in the area." the local said.
A growing number of restaurants on Bhopal's outskirts—including areas such as Gandhi Nagar, Airport Road, Indore/Sehore Road in Khajuri, Ratibad, Misrod, Raisen Road, Ayodhya Nagar, Ayodhya Bypass, and Gyarah Meel Bypass—reportedly allow people to consume liquor in their establishments sans any valid licenses.
Noise Pollution Too Follows Many of these establishments also offer hookahs and continue operations well into the night with loud music, enabling noise pollution and all of this many a times leads to scenes of public nuisance with young men fighting with each other.
Some of these restuarants charge their customers extra for allowing them to consume liquor on their premises, while others offer this service as complimentary for choosing their restaurant for parties or dinners.
Many farmhouses with pools and other facilities in the outer areas are also easily available for such parties. These places attract not only young crowds and students but also families, creating a façade of legitimacy while openly flouting laws.
People bring their liquor bottles with them and consume them openly in these establishments. Beyond legal violations, they are becoming significant contributors to the rise in late-night road accidents. People visiting such restaurants, mostly located on city outskirts, often leave these venues under the influence, engaging in drunk driving and endangering not only their lives but also public safety.
Raids Don't Translate To Regulation In These Areas Despite routine raids and case registrations by city police and the Excise Department, these restaurants continue to repeat the offences without any fear. In light of this, senior police officials have announced plans to initiate preventive actions against such repeat offenders. Senior officers maintained that to make the city drugs and illegal liquor free, the Ankush (Narco) Helpline number - 7587628290 has been issued by the police, on which any person can give information about such activities. The name and address of the informer will be kept confidential.
A senior cop admitted that almost all the restaurants that mushroomed on the city outskirts allow liquor and hookah consumption on their premises without having valid licenses.
Drunk-Driving By Youth
Mostly youngsters can be seen flocking to these restaurants not only at night but during the daytime too. Consuming liquor in restaurants while families are sitting beside them on different tables is now becoming the new normal. Mostly these youngsters, boys and girls, visit these spots with their friends in SUVs and cars and leave drunk. They indulge in drunk driving, and accidents follow.
He said that especially in the Kerwa Dam Road area in Ratibad, Airport Road area in Gandhi Nagar, Hoshangabad Road area in Misrod, and Indore Road/Sehore Road area in Khajuri, a large number of such restaurants have mushroomed. These restaurants are now opening in the residential areas behind the NLIU. Most of them remain fully occupied during the evening and late-night hours. The restaurants play DJs and sound systems at loud noise, especially during weekends, creating noise pollution in the area in the city. On the weekends, long queues of cars can be seen parked outside the restaurants on the road.
Another local, wishing anonymity, said that such spots act as breeding grounds for drug peddlers and other criminal activities. They lure youngsters into their net and supply them drugs and/or involve them in crimes.
Speaking on the issue, police commissioner Harinarayanchari Mishra said that he has issued strict orders in this concern to all the police stations in the city, and there is a zero-tolerance policy on this issue.