MAKKAH: Makkah Civil Defense has a general plan for any emergency situation during the last 10 days of Ramadan.

Top Civil Defense officers said that there is complete and integrated coordination with all the relevant government bodies tasked with the implementation of plans during emergency situations.

This is being done through the Command and Control Center, which has been staffed with representatives of all government agencies around the clock since the beginning of the holy month.

Director of Civil Defense in Makkah Brig. Gen. Ahmed Al-Delaiwi told a local publication that the plans took into consideration lessons learned in previous Umrah seasons, including during the construction of giant projects at the Grand Mosque.

“The Civil Defense plan includes a number of basic features. The first is the protective one which involves inspection operations of all hotels and residential facilities housing pilgrims, in addition to all the other sites and locations frequented by them, such as malls and restaurants, and the other facilities to make sure they are all provided with safety requirements.

"All manpower and teams equipped with machinery and equipment will be deployed if necessary to face all possible dangers, especially during the last 10 days of Ramadan, and Fridays, in addition to the 27th night of the month, which usually experiences a significant increase in the number of pilgrims,” he said.

Al-Delaiwi said one feature of the Civil Defense plan is to raise awareness among pilgrims and the personnel serving them on adhering to safety measures in all situations through the continuous broadcasting of messages and handing out leaflets inside and outside the mosque premises.

Col. Abdullah bin Eid Al-Qurashi, director of safety of the Civil Defense management in Makkah, said preparations for the last 10 days of Ramadan included intensifying inspection tours of all boarding facilities, restaurants and warehouses to check on violations which might pose a threat to the safety of the guests and pilgrims.

“The penalties usually range from imposing fines to cutting water and electricity supply to the facility that has been proven to have committed serious violations. This might also lead to the complete closure of the facility and evacuating pilgrims to secure sites,” he asserted.

Al-Qurashi warned the departments and owners of establishments that provide services to pilgrims against any violation of the rules and regulations of the Civil Defense, urging all the establishments to collaborate in removing and correcting any irregularities monitored to reflect a good image of the efforts of the Kingdom to facilitate the pilgrimage of millions of Muslims.

Maj. Mohammad Al-Aboud, the supervisor of the preventive maintenance survey, said a detailed plan is in place to follow up on the safety requirements in all establishments frequented by Umrah pilgrims, including parks, squares and all facilities around the central area, and to make sure that they are free from anything that may threaten the safety of the guests and pilgrims.

The director of the Department of Civil Protection, Maj. Ali bin Afif, said a number of teams have been assigned to monitor and measure the carbon emissions and pollutants in the holy city.

“Their data and information will be passed to competent bodies in case they exceed the allowable limits for pollutants, so that such bodies can take action. The procedures taken in such cases include preventing pilgrims from using tunnels and then starting ventilation and disinfection operations,” he explained.

He noted that the monitoring processes and operations will be intensified during the last 10 days of Ramadan.