This story is from August 4, 2020

Ahmedabad’s biggest mall sealed for distancing breaches

Ahmedabad’s biggest mall sealed for distancing breaches
Sight from Ahmedabad One mall after its sealing by AMC
AHMEDABAD: The city’s biggest mall, ‘Ahmedabad One’ in Vastrapur, was sealed on Monday for social distancing and crowd management violations. Centrally airconditioned malls without proper ventilation may pose serious risks and violations of social distancing and mask rules raise the risk of transmission.
After sealing the mall, the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) asked the mall authorities to disinfect the entire complex and submit reports of rapid antigen tests of all employees.
It also asked for a detailed roadmap on the implementation of the standard operating procedure (SOP) before the mall can be allowed to reopen.
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Malls, offices, and commercial establishments should follow strict social distancing measures. Visitors or customers not heeding the advice should be promptly asked to leave. Besides, no one should be allowed to enter the premises without a mask. Also, offices and establishments should consider revamping ventilation plans for their central AC systems. Unless there is a collective effort to follow all relevant norms, we may never be able to beat Covid-19.


AMC officials while on a routine inspection were aghast at blatant disregard for social distancing and the mall administration’s passive response to enforcing the SOPs.
“We don’t want such places to seed another round of rapid infections. A strong message should go out to malls to enforce social distancing,” said a senior AMC official. The mall was full owing to the Rakshabhandan festival and mall authorities were aware that footfalls would be higher.
In an official statement, the Ahmedabad One Mall authorities said, “As per the advice of the local administration, we have temporarily halted operations at Ahmedabad One. We have been adhering to all applicable safety, hygiene and social distancing norms and shall resume operations as per further instructions from the authorities.”

Harshad Solanki, director of AMC’s solid waste department, said, “There were more than 5,000 visitors in the mall. No social distancing was being followed. A minimum of three feet of distance between customers was to be ensured, which was violated.”
Rajiv Kumar Gupta, additional chief secretary (ACS), forests and environment, who is in charge of Covid control measures in Ahmedabad, said, “It is high time that the people of Ahmedabad, commercial establishments and those in offices behave with responsibility. The AMC has been able to contain the spread of the virus to a great extend but responsible behaviour is essential from the authorities where there are so many people gathering. The AMC will continue such drives on other commercial establishments.”
AMC officials said that they had received a tip-off and conducted a surprise check and found that the mall authorities had failed to impress on store owners the need to maintain social distancing among customers.
A retailer at the mall said “We have already suffered during the lockdown and this sealing will be a heavy blow. If visitors refuse to comply and do not wear masks or follow social distancing despite our insistence, why should retailers face the brunt of such disciplinary action.”
Solanki added, “We have clear instructions from the municipal commissioner and the ACS to continue surprise checks and seal establishments violating social distancing norms.”
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