Karnataka government issues guidelines for mosque ahead of re-opening on June 8
Bengaluru: The Karnataka Government on Saturday issued guidelines for the mosques to follow, ahead of the Corona lockdown relaxation that will allow religious places to resume operations from June 8.
In an order issued by the Department of Minority Welfare, Haj, and Waqf, Standard Operating Procedures have been stipulated for mosques to be implemented at its premises when it resumes operation from June 8, Monday. The mosques in Corona containment zones however will not be allowed to resume operations till the zone is denotified by the authorities.
The order has also urged people above 60 years of age, pregnant women and children below 10 years to stay at home. It further asserts that simple public health measures that are to be followed to reduce the risk of COVID-19 be observed by everyone at mosques at all times.
In the guidelines set by the order, it states that congregational prayers and large gatherings will remain prohibited and people at mosques must maintain a minimum distance of two meters at all times with specific marking on the floor to be made to help people.
While the order also directs to allow staggered entry for visitors to avoid crowding, it also calls for mandatory use of face masks for everyone. It is also stressed that cough etiquette should also be followed strictly.
A trained volunteer shall also be deputed to perform thermal screening at the entry points of the mosque who shall guide people with a temperature of more than 99.5 F or with any other COVID-19 symptoms to seek medical consultation.
The availability of hand sanitizers has also been mandatory at all entry points with provision for handwashing with liquid soap and water to be arranged at the mosque. It also adds that proper crowd management shall also be arranged at parking slots outside the premises to maintain physical distancing.
The order further restricts touching of statues, idols, or holy books inside mosque premises. People shall also carry their praying mats which they shall take back with them and common prayer mats shall not be used.
It also directs the mosque authorities to frequently clean all areas with disinfectants while spitting is prohibited to everyone. The order further added that the mosque shall also advise people to install and use the Aarogya Setu App.
The notification also added that the management of the mosque shall immediately inform the authorities if they suspect any person to be infected by the virus, and added that the authorities will further decide the course of infection including deciding on the need for disinfecting the mosque premises.
The management shall also be responsible for arranging separate slots for keeping shoes/footwear for everyone. The Nikah ceremony is also prohibited from taking place in a mosque, while people are also not be allowed to perform sunnah and nawafil prayers in mosques.
The running of Maktab, Madrasa, or religious classes has also been prohibited until further instructions.
Regarding weekly Friday prayers, the order states that staggered timings for Jumma Namaz shall be held as under if necessary: 12:45 to 01:15 pm., 1:30 to 2:00 pm. The Jumma Qutba—e-Awwal, Saani, and Namaaz shall be completed within 15 minutes.
Imams are asked to restrain from longer zikr and dua to help the next jamath to offer namaz, while muazzins have been asked to open mosques only 15 minutes before the Azan and the doors be closed after the completion of Farz prayers.
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Karnataka Lokayukta to register case, probe Bowring wall collapse
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Lokayukta Justice B S Patil on Thursday took serious note of the compound wall collapse at Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in the city that killed seven people, and announced registration of a case on its own while warning of action against officials found responsible.
The Lokayukta, who visited the site and conducted an inspection, expressed strong displeasure over the incident and questioned the inaction of authorities, even as police and emergency teams had earlier rushed to the spot to rescue victims trapped under the debris following heavy rain, strong winds and a hailstorm on Wednesday evening.
“I will now register a suo motu case. This is not just about this one incident — such incidents must not occur anywhere in the state or the city in the future,” Justice Patil told reporters.
Seven people, including a six-year-old girl, were killed and seven others injured when the compound wall collapsed as rain-battered victims had taken shelter near it, according to police. The victims included people from Kerala who were in the city on a study tour.
Calling for systemic accountability, the Lokayukta said, “Dilapidated buildings and weakened compound walls, especially in areas with public access, must first be identified. They must either be repaired, demolished, or rebuilt.”
He added that responsibility would be fixed on officials of the BBMP and the concerned departments.
Justice Patil said that hearings would be conducted and preventive action initiated, while also probing those responsible for it, how the incident could have been prevented, and why it was not prevented.
A Scene of Crime Officers (SOCO) team and a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team also inspected the site, while police cordoned off Kovil Street to facilitate the probe.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said the government had initiated measures following the rain-related incidents and stressed preparedness.
“Since last night we have initiated measures regarding the rains. When it rains heavily, we must be prepared, and we are working towards that,” he told reporters here.
On the wall collapse, Shivakumar said, “I will not directly blame any officials. It was an old wall, and trees had grown alongside it. Due to that pressure, it collapsed.”
The Deputy CM said instructions had been issued to identify such vulnerable structures and clear areas around them, including relocating street vendors.
Karnataka Medical Education Minister Sharan Prakash Patil said a technical assessment had been ordered.
“This is a very serious matter. Innocent people have been affected. We are issuing directions to the engineers to find out why this compound wall collapsed and to assess its structural strength,” he told reporters after inspecting the spot.
The Minister noted that the wall was ‘very old’ and required thorough examination to prevent recurrence.
Speaking to reporters, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asked the Karnataka government to take precautions to ensure that incidents like the collapse of the Bengaluru government hospital compound wall, which caused loss of life, should not repeat.
Meanwhile, addressing a press conference, Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad said the collapse raised questions about construction and maintenance practices.
“If a wall collapses within 25 years of its construction, it needs to be examined -- whether there was any technical issue, or if anything was altered inside, weakening it. All this can only come out through a technical investigation,” he said.
The Congress MLA also called for wider structural audits across the city, stating that all such structures, whether private or government, must be audited.
He urged citizens to support victims, saying it was a collective responsibility in times of crisis.
