Humayunpur’s bustling food hub loses buzz after MCD action

3 min readNew DelhiJun 23, 2026 10:15 PM IST

On a typical weekend, one is hit by the aroma of grilled meat, steaming momos, and freshly brewed coffee that wafts through its narrow lanes. (Express Photo)

Written by Swasti Chaudhary

Following the deadly fire in South Delhi’s Hauz Rani that left 23 dead on June 3, the popular Humayunpur market witnessed a crackdown by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on June 9, with notices on violations pasted outside more than 20 restaurants.

Over the past few years, Humayunpur, located in South Delhi’s Safdarjung Enclave, has seen a surge in popularity for its restaurants, many of which specialise in dishes from Northeastern states, and Tibetan, Nepali, and Korean cuisine.

On a typical weekend, one is hit by the aroma of grilled meat, steaming momos, and freshly brewed coffee that wafts through its narrow lanes. Queues often spill out of the eateries as diners wander from restaurant to restaurant. Certain popular establishments like Lha Kitchen have also opened secondary branches adjacent to the first ones to make room for the growing crowds.

When The Indian Express visited the area on a Sunday evening, the atmosphere was slightly different. While groups of people were present, regulars mentioned that the market was noticeably quieter than usual, especially for a weekend.

Kaustubh, a first-timer in the area, said, “I came here with my friends after they had been talking about the place for a while. All they have been telling me is that it’s not the same today.”

When asked about the notices, a manager at Lha Kitchen said, “The whole community was affected, but now things seem to be returning to normalcy.”

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A local corner shop owner claimed that the MCD surveyed the area on June 7 and many restaurants and establishments were asked to shut down by June 9.

As reported by The Indian Express, the sealing notices listed several violations. It read, “… Total violation of permissible/sanctioned use of the said property… against the Master Plan-2021/ Zonal Plan/ Sanctioned plan and amounts to misuse of premises under reference.”

This pertains to ‘mixed use regulations’ in the Delhi Master Plan 2021, which has set guidelines for commercial activities within residential areas. The properties were found to be allegedly violating the guidelines, according to the notices.

Workers at the restaurants remain concerned about the situation. “We were just told that the restaurant was shut due to the fire in Hauz Rani, no further communication was given. As far as I know, the owners were able to get it opened again,” said a worker at Yo Tibet, who wished to remain anonymous.

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Manish, a resident of Mohammadpur, who drives an auto rickshaw in Humayunpur, claimed, “Last week, the restaurants had been shut down but now all of them have reopened…”

There was no response for comment from the MCD.

(Swasti Chaudhary is an intern at The Indian Express)

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