Last year, the fire at Kamala Mills Compound claimed 14 lives after it allegedly broke out due to the hookahs at the pub. In response, the government has banned all hookah parlours in the state from Thursday. The State Home Department released the notification after President Ram Nath Kovind approved the bill that was passed by both houses of the state legislature in April.
The incident also raised alarms in other cities, where local police and municipal officials began inspecting the pubs and eateries for safety measures and in Mumbai, several eateries and restaurants were shut down by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) after they were found unsafe for the public.
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As per the amended Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply, and Distribution) Act (COTPA), the violation of the regulations can cause the defaulter to pay a fine of ₹1,00,000 or imprisonment of up to three years.
While Maharashtra will be prohibiting hookah from Thursday, neighbouring state Gujarat was first Indian state to implement the ban.