90% of hotels, restaurants in Ahmedabad lack pest control certification
Updated: Jun 7th, 2025
Amdavad Municipal Corporation has sealed the Octant Pizza restaurant in Ahmedabad after an insect was found in gulab jamun syrup. Over the past year, several incidents involving pests have been reported — from five-star hotels to small restaurants – in the city. However, what’s startling is that around 90% of these food outlets don’t have a pest control certificate. This calls for a serious inquiry from the AMC.
Out of a total of 3,628 registered food outlets in Ahmedabad, including hotels, restaurants, and street food joints, only 10% have obtained a pest control certificate. More than 3,000 establishments lack any official policy for pest control. Most of them merely claim to be ‘mindful’ of cleanliness, without any documented measures.
In 2023, there were 2,214 restaurants registered in Ahmedabad, and that number has increased by 4%. With a growing number of food lovers visiting these places, the lack of regular kitchen hygiene and discipline among untrained staff has led to frequent complaints about pests and stale food. It’s not just ordinary hotels — even five-star hotels have faced cleanliness-related complaints.
In September 2024, a well-known five-star hotel near Shivranjani was fined ₹50,000. Another five-star hotel in Vastrapur was ordered shut for 48 hours and penalised after an insect was found in the food.
Recently, a bakery in Behrampura made headlines after pests were found and a lizard’s tail was discovered in an ice cream cone. These incidents highlight how poor hygiene awareness is in Ahmedabad’s food industry.
Speaking on the matter, owner of a well-known restaurant in Ahmedabad said, “Every hotel and restaurant should have a pest control policy. There are designated agencies and cleanliness standards for this. However, due to the overwhelming customer rush, maintaining hygiene often takes a back seat — which is a serious issue. In most cases, incidents are resolved directly with the customer. Only when a dispute escalates does it reach the corporation, resulting in penalties and public attention. These incidents happen almost daily, yet only 10% of establishments seem to follow hygiene standards regularly.”
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