MUMBAI: Yadnyesh Narkar and his friends, who often dine at various restaurants in Matunga and Dadar, recently witnessed a new campaign; there were notices pasted on restaurant walls explaining why the rates of delicacies had gone up.Customers were warned against wastage of dal, vegetables, water and power as they were very “expensive’’. This campaign is not confined to Dadar and Matunga restaurants. Lakhs of Mumbaikars will soon face such a campaign in around 7,000 restaurants across the city and other urban pockets in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).Ahar, the biggest association of restaurant and hotel owners in MMR, has decided to hike the price of various dishes by 25-30 % due to the rise in prices of vegetables and food grains.Narayana Alva, president of Ahar, said due to the steep hike in prices of cooking gas cylinders, vegetables, pulses, and water and power, the association has decided to make the masses aware by putting up posters inside dining rooms.“An Udipi restaurant in Matunga has warned customers that they would be fined Rs 5 if they wasted the dal as tur dal prices are soaring,’’ said Narkar.“Over 40% Mumbaikars eat in our 7,000 restaurants every day. We are going to inform our customers as to why our dishes have become pricy and how they can help get the rates down by cooperating with the restaurant owners ,’’ said Ahar’s former president Chandrahas Shetty.Alva said the rates of vegetables and pulses had increased by almost 40% over the past three months. However , he said if the prices come down, Ahar will bring down the rates.According to Shetty, soon a delegation of Ahar will call on CM Ashok Chavan to apprise him of the shortage of water and power and hike in prices of fuel and food items.