Mumbai: Permission needed for gatherings of 200 and more people

Violation guidelines will attract action under the IPC and Disaster Management Act, 2005

Amid Omicron scare, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has said that prior permission is now mandatory for any program or event to be attended by 200 or more people.

As per a circular issued on December 20, permission of the local assistant municipal commissioner will be required for such programs or functions. Further, local ward officers should send their "representatives" to check if rules related to COVID-19 appropriate behaviour are being followed strictly at such programs, the BMC said.

Earlier, guidelines issued by the Maharashtra government on November 23 had said no special permission was necessary for gatherings of less than 1,000 people. But the latest BMC circular said that if the owner, hotelier or organisers claim that their venue has the capacity to accommodate more than 200 persons even after following COVID-19-related norms and ensuring 6 ft by 6 ft distance between individuals, prior written permission of the assistant municipal commissioner must be obtained.

Further, closed (indoor) halls can operate at 50 per cent of their total capacity, while open-to-sky venues shall operate at only 25 per cent of total capacity.

Violation of these guidelines will attract action under the IPC and Disaster Management Act, 2005, the circular stated.