The Orissa High Court has ordered for closure of all the 104 kalyan mandaps or banquet halls that were being operated in the Cuttack city without any licence from the Cuttack municipal corporation. The court issued the direction yesterday while adjudicating on a public interest litigation seeking intervention against banquet halls that were being operated without any parking area and solid waste disposal method.
The High Court was concerned as the marriage halls were causing traffic congestion on major roads. The approach roads to these mandaps, mostly used for marriage celebrations and other social ceremonies, were also not suitable for parking vehicles. On December 3 last year, the court had sought a detailed report on the number of kalyan mandaps that did not have any parking area and were functioning without approval of the city authority.