MUMBAI: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday took stringent action against Living Liquidz restaurants located in NRK House, Kamala Mills compound in Lower Parel, by demolishing its unauthorised construction and cancelling both of its restaurant licenses.
Living Liquidz, also known as Mumbai Wines and Traders (P) Ltd, had illegally converted the ground and first floors, originally meant for a tailoring shop and a garment shop, into restaurants with a bar and wine shop and dining area, respectively. This unauthorised change in user, without a change in user permit, led to the BMC’s stringent crackdown.
Swapnaja Kshirsagar, assistant commissioner, G South Ward, said to HT, “There were several violations. They were operating beyond the approved plan from the building proposals department and had changed the user. They were operating restaurants too, without a change in user permission.”
Following complaints of unauthorised constructions, encroachments, and illegal operation of restaurants, pubs, and bars at the IT Park in the Kamala Mills compound, additional municipal commissioner Ashwini Joshi directed officials to inspect the premises and take action. Accordingly, on July 31, demolition and seizure operations were carried out at Theobroma, McDonald’s, Shiv Sagar Hotel, Nano’s Café, Starbucks, Bira Taproom, Toast Pasta Bar (Food by Devika), and BKT House in the Kamala Mills premises for unauthorised constructions.
Continuing this intensive campaign, the BMC conducted a joint inspection of the Living Liquidz premises on August 4 and 5.
During the inspection, officials found that shops on the ground and first floors were illegally transformed into restaurants. The establishment had also violated Floor Space Index (FSI) regulations by covering open spaces and constructing unauthorised roofing on the terrace. They discovered several other construction violations, including illegal wall constructions, unauthorised conversion of a space into a cold storage room, unauthorised alterations in the door structures, and the erection of wooden and glass partitions.
Based on this inspection, the BMC issued a stop-work notice to Living Liquidz on Monday and demolished its premises on Tuesday. Furthermore, as the unauthorised commercial expansion was done without a mandatory fire safety certification, thereby posing a threat to public safety, the BMC cancelled its restaurant licenses.
Following Joshi’s directives, the joint operation was carried out in the presence of Deputy Municipal Commissioner (zone-2) Prashant Sapkale and Kshirsagar. Officials and staff from BMC’s health, building and factories, and building proposal departments, as well as from the state excise department, participated in the operation.
Similar actions will be taken against irregularities and unauthorised constructions or encroachments found elsewhere, as was done in the Kamala Mills area, to continue the campaign consistently, the BMC stated.
Despite several attempts, Living Liquidz remained unavailable for comment.