Sanitisation staff at work in Smart Bharat Mall in Noida Sunday. (Express photo: Gajendra Yadav)
After being shut for over two months, shopping malls in the city are gearing up to reopen on Monday, with a new set of standard operating procedures as per guidelines issued by Centre and the state government.
DLF shopping malls, which includes malls such as DLF Promenade and Emporio in Delhi and Mall of India in Noida, said they will adhere to the guidelines.
Pushpa Bector, Executive Director, DLF Shopping Malls, said, “We will be looking at re-opening our malls between 11 am and 8 pm in the coming week as per curfew hours set by the government so that consumers feel safe to come in during that time. Temperature checks and the use of Aarogya Setu App will be made mandatory for consumers to enter.”
The group also plans to provide real-time foot traffic, notifications on safety and cleanliness, booking of time slots, golden hours to visit malls via an app — Lukout — that it is developing.
At DLF Promenade, Siddharth Natu, AVP and Center Head, said cars will pass through sanitising kiosks; mats with sanitising liquid will ensure that the soles of visitors’ shoes are sanitised, and thermal scanners and hand sanitisers will be placed at entrances.
Masks are mandatory at malls at all times. The premises will also be sanitised and fogged by a thin sanitisation liquid mist on a daily basis. As per the guidelines given to restaurants, they should operate at 50% of their total capacity. Children’s play areas, game arcades and theatres are to remain closed until further orders from the Centre.
If a person is found symptomatic, they will be taken to an isolation room 30-40 feet away from the mall and made to sit there till district authorities direct them to take action or till help arrives.
At Select Citywalk, not more than four people will be allowed in a lift and a three-step gap is to be maintained between visitors on escalators. The mall said that number of people using the washrooms will also be restricted to ensure no crowding. “Visitors are advised to have the Aarogya Setu app,” said the spokesperson.
Temperature in malls will be maintained around 24-30 degrees Celsius and more fresh air than usual will be pumped in. “Humidity levels will be kept 40-70%,” added Natu.