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HT Salutes: Haven’t taken a single day off since lockdown, says nodal officer Gaurav Gaur
The Panjab University assistant professor facilitates essential services in Sectors 30 and 27 of Chandigarh
Panjab University (PU) assistant professor Gaurav Gaur, 36, has constantly been on the go ever since he volunteered to be the nodal officer for Sectors 30 and 27.
It was on March 26 that the Chandigarh administration gave Gaur the charge of Sector 30. Since then Gaur hasn’t taken a single day off. In fact, he also volunteered to be the nodal officer for Sector 27.
“Our team has been working without break since the lockdown was imposed. It is hardly time to keep track of our calendars and watches. This is the time to serve society,” Gaur said.
Nowadays, from 7am to 7.30pm, one can find Guar facilitating essential services in the two sectors. His day begins with feeding stray dogs in Sector 25 and ends with distributing essentials among the needy.
Gaur’s task wasn’t without difficulties. “When I was given charge of Sector 30, it was an affected pocket and anxiety was running high among residents. Now, things have settled.”
Guar, who has been a social worker for decades, has been particularly focused on ensuring the wellbeing of the elderly.
Guar says, “We called all senior citizens in the area to make sure that they were not facing any problem during the lockdown.”
Gaur’s car is stuffed with an assortment of dog feed, biscuits, sanitary napkins, ration, and face masks, which he distributes among the needy.
He also accompanyies buses supplying fruits and vegetables and taking mobile ATM vans to resident’s doorsteps.
“We get calls from the different areas of the city and have provided help to almost all people who have approached us. We also made sure that the transgender community wasn’t overlooked,” he said.
Gaur is a part of a number of welfare projects such as door-to-door distribution of sanitary napkins in Mohali, looking after migrant labourers on the PU campus and feeding cows at the cow shelter in Sector 25.
Gaur, along with few other PU teachers, have formed a network, which is providing essential services such as ration, milk, fruits and vegetables to construction workers, elderly and those staying alone on the university campus.
Notably, in 2011, Gaur was awarded the United Nations Volunteers, International Confederation of NGOs (UNV-iCongo) Karmaveer Chakra Awardfor raising awareness about HIV-AIDS. In 2009, Guar was honoured by Queen Elizabeth II at the Buckingham Palace.