Hyderabad’s thriving nightlife hit hard

Some called this latest decision unnecessary and called for other innovative solutions if there were any security concerns.

Hyderabad: Venturing out at night to feast on street food, latenight parties, ice cream dates, midnight birthday celebrations and secondshow movies, all these may soon become bygone memories if the Hyderabad Police has its way with their latest move.

Authorities who are planning to enforce a time limit to maintain law and order are unfortunately curbing the freedom of movement of Hyderabadis, many believe. As expected, the civic society, especially the youngsters, are not very pleased with the move. A variety of arguments have spurred up on social media platforms where citizens are registering their dissent.

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Some called this latest decision unnecessary and called for other innovative solutions if there were any security concerns. Voices of the business owners who run their stores late into the night are also among the loudest.

“I understand where the police are coming from. They seem to want to reduce the crime rate but their approach is wrong. But we have all become accustomed to this lifestyle where we can go out anytime. If I am hungry at night, why can’t I go out and grab a bite? Abruptly changing the timings will not work,” says Nishanth, a citybased architect. Owners of commercial establishments point towards the grave financial implications, if curbs are implemented.

“We are already at a loss. Earlier we used to serve till 1 am and then open again at 4 am. Now we close at midnight and open at 5 am. Two hours of loss. It’s not just about us business owners, we are forced to fire people who come from villages to find work here. What about their employment?” says owner of a momo’s stall at DLF Street.