Hyderabad: DLF Street vendors sweat under curbs on operating time

Hyderabad: The famous DLF Street in Gachibowli, which used to bustling all night, now lies deserted post midnight. A similar gloom has shrouded other late-night locations, diminishing the city’s alluring nightlife.

Before the Assembly elections, the timings of DLF and other similar streets were restricted to make sure that no untoward incidents happened. By 11 pm, every establishment had to be closed down in view of the elections.

However, the curbs haven’t yet been lifted even after a month since the election results were declared. Every night, at approximately 11.45 pm, police arrives, forcing the vendors to close.

We used to keep running the stores until late at night in the past. However, as of right now, we close at 12 am. and reopen at 4 am “What can we do to stop our business from declining?” remarks the proprietor of Momo’s Delight on DLF Street.

A vendor on the DLF Street told a city-based newspaper that he tried contacting the administration, but received no response.

Even though these stores are only closed for about four hours, but that period is crucial for their businesses. The location is popular among city dwellers who want to grab a quick bite at night. However, the vendors’ main clientele consists of IT employees who work graveyard shifts.

According to police, all establishments must be closed by midnight. “That’s the rule and that’s why we tell vendors on DLF Street to shut down,” said an official.

He further added that authorities did not currently have any plan to permit these establishments to remain open past midnight. The situation is the same at other late-night street food locations, such as IDL Lake, Malkam Cheruvu, and the area around ITC Kohinoor.