Ranchi: Close on the heels of the devastating fire at a nightclub in Goa which claimed 25 lives, many city bars and nightclubs in Ranchi decided to call off fire stunts and restrict customer entry during this year’s Christmas and New Year celebrations.Bars and restaurants across Ranchi moved swiftly to strengthen safety protocols. Several establishments revised crowd-management plans and reviewed emergency preparedness to ensure safer festivities, with authorities stressing strict compliance with fire and structural safety norms.Bar owners said additional security personnel had been deployed and multiple mock drills conducted among staff, as footfall was expected to rise sharply during Christmas and New Year celebrations. Many party zones across Ranchi planned to restrict both customers and staff from carrying lighters, match boxes and other flammable objects to ensure safety.A manager of a bar and restaurant in the city’s Karamtoli Chowk, Kush Agarwal, said, “Our bar has a capacity to cater to 650 people at once. But we have reduced the number to 300 for New Year celebrations, so that accidents can be prevented. The ticket price has been increased a little to compensate for the loss, but we have prioritised customer’s safety. Also, this year we will not hold any fire shows at bar counters as part of the celebrations unlike last year.”“Our staff have been trained on using fire safety equipment as a preparedness measure. Also, the number of fire extinguishers have been increased at our bar in view of the Goa incident. Provision of fire exits has been ensured and staff have been briefed on evacuation and fire-fighting procedures,” said a manager of a popular nightclub on Main Road. Another staff member of a restaurant in the city, Ranjan Prasad, told TOI, “In our bar, we have decreased the number of customers from 200 to 80, during New Year parties. Also we have installed radium lights on the floor so that people can be easily evacuated during a power cut in the event of any fire incident.”Meanwhile, state disaster management minister Irfan Ansari on Monday asked his department officials to review the condition of all food courts, restaurants, bars, nightclubs and rooftop restaurants across cities in the state.The minister directed officials to check whether all joints were following the rules and regulations.
