Venue Management Laws in Vidarbha and How They Are Repeatedly Violated

thenewsdirt
Jan 22
6 min read

In recent months, Nagpur authorities sealed three popular rooftop restaurants for flouting basic fire safety laws. Around the same time, officials discovered a newly opened banquet hall running without any building permits or safety clearances.

These incidents are not isolated. Across Vidarbha, many public venues from wedding halls to nightclubs routinely break rules meant to keep people safe.

Regulations on fire prevention, building use, crowd control, and licensing are all in place, yet they are often ignored until accidents or crackdowns force compliance.

As social gatherings thrive in the region, a troubling pattern has emerged where venue management laws exist but are frequently disregarded on the ground.

Fire Safety Laws Widespread Non-Compliance

Fire safety regulations in Maharashtra require venues to install firefighting equipment and obtain a No Objection Certificate from the fire department for any large building or public assembly hall.

Installing firefighting systems in multi storey buildings is mandatory as per the law, according to officials involved in enforcement. In practice, however, compliance has been shockingly low in parts of Vidarbha.

A municipal fire audit in Nagpur found 1,341 high rise structures including marriage halls and banquet lawns built without the required fire safety clearance. An additional 5,595 buildings that did get initial approval still never installed the mandated alarms, sprinklers or extinguishers. Enforcement notices were sent to thousands of violators, and eventuall,y nearly 1,900 buildings were officially declared unsafe due to unmet fire safety standards. In some cases authorities moved to cut off water and electricity and file police complaints against owners who failed to comply.

Recent crackdowns show the ongoing nature of the problem. In January 2026, Nagpur civic authorities sealed multiple restaurants for violating fire norms following judicial scrutiny of enforcement lapses. These rooftop venues, located in a busy commercial comple,x lacked compulsory heat and smoke detectors and were found using unsafe quantities of cooking gas cylinders.

Inspectors had issued warnings months earlier but no corrective action followed. Another establishment was found operating an open flame kitchen without any fire safety arrangements. Officials noted that while the building itself had approval the establishments inside failed to meet the requirements under the Fire Prevention and Life Safety Measures Act of 2006.

All three restaurants were shut immediately and ordered to obtain fire department clearance before reopening.

The action unsettled many operators across the hospitality sector as several realised that similar lapses existed at their own premises. The episode highlighted how formal approvals often mask the absence of actual safety systems.

Licensing and Permit Violations

Beyond fire precautions venues in Vidarbha frequently operate in violation of core licensing and land use rules.

A notable case emerged in Nagpur’s Trimurti Nagar area where a private operator constructed a six storey structure intended to house banquet halls without any sanctioned building plan or occupancy certificate.

The land was meant for a community facility, yet the space was converted into a commercial venue and rented out for weddings and events. By the time authorities sealed the premises, the hall had already hosted gatherings for nearly two months. It had no fire safety clearance, no occupancy approval, and stood on land being used in violation of its original allotment.

Residents in the area reported severe traffic congestion during events due to the absence of designated parking facilities, with vehicles spilling onto public roads. The venue also lacked authorised sewage and waste disposal systems, with refuse discharged into municipal drains without permission. Despite a state level stay order against the construction work, the operator continued operations until the Nagpur Improvement Trust intervened.

Public representations later called for criminal proceedings and restoration of the land to its intended civic use. The case illustrated how unauthorised venues can function openly for extended periods before enforcement catches up.

High profile facilities have also faced scrutiny. Police issued a formal notice to the Vidarbha Cricket Association regarding safety and compliance gaps at the Jamtha stadium in Nagpur.

Despite hosting international sporting events, the stadium was found to be operating without a valid fire clearance, an approved building plan, an occupancy certificate, and environmental permissions. Police declined to provide security cover for further matches until all statutory approvals were secured.

The warning followed multiple violations observed during a previous match for which cases were registered.

Authorities stated that responsibility for any incident would rest solely with the organisers if events continued without compliance.

The episode showed that even prominent institutions had treated mandatory venue regulations as secondary until enforcement action halted operations.

Crowd Safety and Event Norms Ignored

Day to day event management across Vidarbha also reflects repeated breaches of safety and crowd control rules.

Venue operators often exceed permitted capacity, extend operating hours, and overlook security requirements.

During pandemic restrictions, several marriage halls were penalised for hosting gatherings far exceeding approved limits. This pattern extended beyond emergency situations into routine functions and celebrations.

Noise control rules are also commonly breached. Existing law restricts the use of loudspeakers during night hours and limits outdoor events past midnight. Enforcement intensified only after judicial intervention prompted police action against clubs, wedding venues, and event organisers. Authorities acknowledged that festival processions, religious gatherings, and private celebrations routinely violated noise limits, leading to repeated complaints and legal scrutiny.

Serious incidents have exposed the consequences of lax enforcement. A fatal altercation at a Nagpur nightclub during a Christmas celebration resulted in two deaths.

Investigations revealed deficiencies in crowd control, inadequate security staffing, and weak entry management.

The establishment was shut pending compliance. Following the incident demand for trained security personnel increased sharply across the nightlife sector as operators attempted to avoid similar outcomes.

Police issued precautionary notices to bars, lounges, and party venues ahead of year end events, requiring proof of security arrangements, CCTV coverage, emergency response planning, and valid licences.

Special permissions were made mandatory for large gatherings with fixed closing hours and strict noise controls. Venues were instructed to maintain extended CCTV records ensure sound containment and actively prevent illegal activities on their premises. Non compliance carried the risk of closure and prosecution. These measures demonstrated that while a regulatory framework exists consistent enforcement has often been reactive triggered by incidents rather than routine oversight.

Temporary structures used for political and cultural events have also raised safety concerns. In Yavatmal, a section of a pavilion under construction for a large public event collapsed injuring workers. The structure was intended to accommodate a massive gathering, yet failed during the setup stage. The incident drew attention to the lack of scrutiny over temporary constructions, which are required to meet specific safety and engineering standards.

Across Vidarbha the gap between venue management laws and ground level practice remains evident. Regulations governing fire safety, occupancy limits, structural approvals, and event management are detailed and comprehensive. Yet repeated violations suggest that compliance is often treated as optional until enforcement intervenes. Crackdowns and judicial directives have forced corrective action in some cases, but these measures usually follow incidents or public pressure.

Many venues respond only when faced with closure legal action or financial loss. The recurring nature of these violations shows that enforcement has largely been episodic rather than systematic.

For people attending weddings, sporting events, concerts, or celebrations, the effectiveness of safety rules depends not on their presence in law books but on whether they are consistently followed.