While swimming pools are to remain shut, water-themed amusement parks and water rides have been allowed to reopen provided they have all health-related safety measures in place such as mandatory disinfections before commencing the ride, adequate and regular water filtration and chlorination.
As per the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the Union Health Ministry, amusement parks and similar places in containment zones have been prohibited to operate. Only those outside containment zones will be allowed to reopen.
As per the SoPs, the frequently-touched surfaces of equipment must be disinfected before commencing the ride, along with ensuring physical distancing in rides while prior to resumption of activities, all work areas, public utility areas and open spaces, including rides, museums, gardens, food courts, gift shops, theatres, etc. will have to be sanitised with 1% sodium hypochlorite solution. Thereafter, this needs to be done on a regular basis, as per the guidelines.
The ministry guidelines advise the use of CCTV in large numbers to monitor crowding at any rides or food court etc. as entry of visitors inside the park will have to be limited to ensure proper physical distancing.
Only asymptomatic persons (managerial staff, employees, visitors) will be allowed in the premises; and management staff, employees and visitors living in containment zones shall not be allowed entry in amusement park and other similar places.
Employees who are at higher risk, such as, older employees, pregnant employees and employees who have underlying medical conditions must take extra precautions. They should preferably not be exposed to any front-line work requiring direct contact with the public, according to the guidelines.
Persons above 65 years of age, those with comorbidities, pregnant women and children below the age of 10 years are advised to stay at home.
Two months ago, the Indian Association of Amusement Parks and Industries (IAAPI) had urged the Government to allow reopening of the amusement parks citing huge revenue losses due to closures of the parks.
“The amusement and water parks are running into huge losses since their closure on March 15 due to the lockdown,” IAAPI president Ajay Sarin had said. There are nearly 150 such parks in the country, including the famous Ramoji Film City, which give direct employment to around 80,000 people and indirectly provide livelihood to nearly three lakh, he had said.