Ggm: Ventilation key impediment to opening of malls
GURUGRAM: Hailed as the mall capital of the National Capital Region, shopping malls in Gurugram have not been allowed to open yet while they have started to open for business in neighbouring Delhi and Noida. And ventilation is proving to be a major impediment for the public authorities for not allowing malls here to open despite it being a major source of revenue for the city.
Spread across large enclosed spaces, all malls in Gurugram are centrally air-conditioned. With the air being internally circulated the authorities fear that the rate of transmission would be much greater in the enclosed areas of malls than in the open areas.
Even as Malls have been allowed to function in Delhi and Noida, officials highlighted that they would want to take extra precautions and ensure the safety of its residents. "We do get a lot of queries of when the malls will be allowed to function. With a lot of air being internally circulated in Gurugram there is a concern that one COVID-19 patient who may visit the mall may infect a large number of people coming in contact with him. Taking note of this risk, we have not allowed the malls to function as yet. Solutions are however being found out of how in the future can the malls be allowed to start again,” said Amit Khatri Gurugram Deputy Commissioner. There are around 30 malls in the Gurugram. Moreover, India's largest mall in terms of space area is also situated in the city. Even as the malls remain closed various other commercial establishments that see a
large number of shoppers coming have been allowed to function by the authorities. Sources in the Gurugram District Administration high
light that most of the shop owners, lessors are constantly persuading the officials to open the malls as heavy losses are being incurred.
Not only malls and private offices but the same challenges are also being faced by the Gurugram Government offices. Having begun the official functions, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram also has not allowed centralised AC systems in its main office at Sector-34.