About fifteen minutes before the clock strikes 12 a.m., motorists and pedestrians near the DLF street food outlets hear the police siren. It sends the food vendors scurrying to serve the last-minute orders and clean up the place before putting up the shutters.
By ten minutes past midnight, the bustling one-kilometre stretch goes silent and dark, with multiple patrolling vans taking turns to ensure that the 200-odd stalls stay shut. Those making a trip to the DLF road in Gachibowli for quick bite in the teeth-chattering cold can be seen taking a U-turn in disappointment.
Regulars in the area believed that the 12 a.m. closure norm would end with the lifting of the election Model Code of Conduct. “Our post-work 1 a.m. chai time meet up is now 11.30 p.m., says Sai Krishna, who works for an MNC at the end of the stretch.
Fading pulse
“I have a few friends from school who work in the neighbouring building. We all work in different shifts from evening till morning and had a system in place to meet up at 1 a.m. for chai at this one particular stall. However, that changed with the election code and we wonder why it remains so way past the result announcement,” he adds.
Public leaving the stalls with police sirens blaring in the backdrop lays bare the lack of a nightlife in a metropolis like Hyderabad. Arpita Rao, who was visiting the place on a Sunday night with her family, says, “It is sad; I personally used to love and boast about this particular street, the low rates and the variety of food. You would end up spending close to a thousand rupees or more at fancy cafes for things you get for ₹300 to ₹500 here.”
“Nightlife boletoh DLF tha ek time pe!” DLF street used to be known for its nightlife) says Shiva, a private employee who resides in the residential PG blocks behind the stalls. “My friends Prabhas and Gopal travel all the way from Secunderabad at night, as the roads are traffic-free, to meet up and eat late-night junk food. We all work from home for evening shifts, and it became a habit to catch up after our 11 p.m. logout. However, they came a few days after the election as usual and we had to order-in dinner as the places were still getting shut by midnight,” he adds.
‘Orders from above’
The police personnel seen walking the beat with batons says they have ‘orders from above’ to close the stalls.
When asked, Commissioner of Police, Cyberabad, Avinash Mohanty says as per ‘The Hyderabad and Secunderabad (Public Place of halt/Place of Public Entertainment/Amusement)- Rules of 2005’, all establishments must seek permission from the police to function past 12 a.m..
“We must take into consideration the public safety and security. For example, with the stalls staying open till late hours, traffic congestions occur at several junctions, causing a problem to commuters. Moreover, women’s safety at night is also our top priority,” adds the officer.
He says the police are working on ways to have a system in place for the vendors to submit applications and obtain a licence to run their places past midnight.
Robust system
“We will be coming up with a robust system for the establishment owners to obtain a licence by adhering to certain guidelines,” he said.
As per the regulations in place, wine shops are required to conclude operations by 10 p.m., pan shops by 11 p.m., and bars, restaurants, dhabas and tea stalls by 12 a.m. Any violation of these specified timings will result in the invocation of the Hyderabad Police Act 21/76 against the offenders, say Cyberabad police officials.
