Mumbai: Housing societies start imposing curbs, prohibit home deliveries, visitors

Managing committees of housing societies have now put several restrictions such as not allowing home deliveries, prohibiting visitors, closing down amenities like gymnasium and games, and even fining people if found without masks or not following Covid-19 protocols.

With the surge in Covid-19 cases, housing societies have started imposing restrictions on residents like they did last year during the lockdown. Managing committees of housing societies have now put several restrictions such as not allowing home deliveries, prohibiting visitors, closing down amenities like gymnasium and games, and even fining people if found without masks or not following Covid-19 protocols.

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“We have started imposing restrictions like last year. We have started restricting outside vendors to the lobby level. Many have also stopped visitors,” said Dhaval Shah, chairman of Lokhandwala-Oshiwara Citizens Association. He, however, said there has been a lot of resistance to restrictions from the residents this time. “There was tremendous fear of Covid-19 last year and residents adhered to the various restrictions, but that is not the case anymore,” he added.

Civic officials are advising managing committees to fine people and take their photographs if they fail to wear mask or violate Covid-19 guidelines. “Since we cannot be everywhere, it makes sense for societies to fine people,” said a civic official who refused to come on record.

State urban development minister Eknath Shinde said the state is mulling over granting special police power to chairman and secretary of housing societies to rein in errant members. If allowed, the office-bearers will have the power to fine members and use force if necessary.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has opposed the proposal saying it would lead to friction between office-bearers and other residents. “Housing societies are facing so many issues, and if you give police power to two people, it may cause havoc. These people, if they use police power, will have to bear the effects for years,” said BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari.

Advocate Vinod Sampat also voiced similar concerns and called it a bad step. “The government is abdicating its responsibility. These office-bearers are not trained to perform policing jobs, and the whole atmosphere of the housing society will get spoiled by such acts,” he said.