F&B News

No more coal-smoked kebabs, tandoori dishes near Victoria Memorial

Joy Roy Choudhury - Kolkata

Those visiting Kolkata and wishing to savour their favourite coal-smoked kebabs and tandoor-grilled dishes in the Park Street area, may well be in for some disappointment on discovering that all the tandoor outlets using charcoal-fired ovens in this region have either been shut down or dismantled. This move comes in the wake of a recent order by the Calcutta High Court banning the use of coal-based tandoors within a three-kms radius of Victoria Memorial.

The Calcutta High Court has accepted the report compiled by the Nagpur-based National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) banning the use of all fuels, except LPG and open coal-fired ovens within a radius of three km to save the Raj relic from environmental degradation.

The order follows a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by environmentalist Subhas Dutta, an active environmentalist who has been fighting a lone battle to save the 'green patch' at Kolkata Maidan and Victoria Memorial, considered to be the lungs of the city.

The move will rob foodies of the special kebabs and tandoori chicken available in this area of the city. While some of the owners have shut their tandoors, others are counting losses following a sharp decline in the sale of their products. Clients, they claim, are yet to get used to the smoke-less taste of LPG-cooked kebabs, preferring rather to shy away from tandoor dishes.

The West Bengal State Pollution Control Board, Kolkata Police and the city Municipal Corporation is soon to launch a joint raid to identify hotels, restaurants and other establishments violating the order. Violators may attract closures, fines and FIRs.

The State's Environment Department officials recently held a meeting with representatives of about 75 hotels, restaurants, clubs, hoteliers' associations and other establishments, including Calcutta Club and Calcutta Race Course. Senior officials of the Kolkata Police were also present at the meeting.

"The Environment Department has communicated the high court order and the subsequent notification to the hotels and restaurants within three km of the monument," said a senior official of the State's Environment Department.

The mandatory use of LPG applies to both new and old eateries, the list of which includes big restaurants and hotels, the Calcutta Club, Eden Gardens, Calcutta Race Course and all the clubs on the Maidan, as well as innumerable smaller roadside units within the specified zone. "The order means the end of tandoor dishes and kebabs because they cannot be cooked without charcoal," rued SK Khullar, owner of the famous Amber restaurant, and former president of FHRAI.

The owner of yet another restaurant on Chowringhee near this British-built marble monument, has closed its tandoor section and instead is banking on fish and vegetarian dishes, while sales at another hotel situated near in vicinity and famous for its kebabs, has also been affected.

Some restaurant owners in the Park Street locality - considered the food-street of the city within the specified zone have decided to take a wait-and-watch policy. Most of the eateries are yet to switch over to LPG and are skeptical about the cost. "Obviously preparing tandoori dishes on LPG will be an expensive proposition," said a restaurant owner. However, I don't think that will make much of a difference to the taste. The charcoal flavour is missing but customers will eventually get used to that," he added.