Covid-19 update: In mutual benefit, Delhi’s Dwarka residents help out-of-work vendors set up shop amid lockdown

Coronavirus update: The residents’ welfare association in Delhi’s Dwarka ensures that precautionary measures are taken — vendors wear gloves and residents are required to use a sanitiser, kept handy near the carts before they make their purchase.

From setting up a kiosk of essentials within the compound, to providing daily meals and medicines to the elderly and students living on their own, residents in housing complexes in south-west Delhi’s Dwarka have been attempting to make the lockdown as comfortable as possible for its residents as well as keep the virus at bay.

At Delhi’s Dwarka Sector-1, the local RWA ensures that its cleaning and washing staff continue to have a source of income. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

At sector-1, pocket-2, the local residents’ welfare association (RWA) ensures that its cleaning and washing staff continue to have a source of income.

“Two of our staff who would wash vehicles and iron clothes had run out of work in the lockdown. We helped them set up a vegetable kiosk here. This way they can earn and ensure that residents do not need to step outside the complex to get their daily supply,” said Pravin Prashant, member, RWA.

The association ensures that precautionary measures are taken — vendors wear gloves and residents are required to use a sanitiser, kept handy near the carts before they make their purchase. The timings for the kiosk are fixed between 3pm and 7pm. Also, people are required to keep a distance of about two metres while buying the vegetables.

Kishan Kumar Gupta, 38, now the vegetable vendor, said, “With no work available, I was just sitting at home worrying how to feed my family of six. It was the RWA members who urged me to set up the kiosk. I’ m able to make at least ₹200-300 a day now, which is better than sitting idle,” said Gupta.

The main entry and exit gates have been closed, while only the pedestrian entry has been kept open for people to go out for any emergency. For other essential services such as sanitation, the residents have worked out an alternative arrangement with the local councillor after the usual service providers were not able to travel from their places of stay.

A garbage collection vehicle with a hooter attached atop moves around the locality every morning. With the siren blowing, people get ready with their bins and queue up to dispose the waste. “I have made sure garbage is collected every day, if not door to door, then otherwise. I have been inspecting it on my own,” said Rajkumar, councillor, Mahavir Enclave, South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

The municipal officials here have been disinfecting the premises including houses under quarantine (put under isolation for 14 days) and common places such as the elevators, stairs, railings and gates with the chemical. “We have been disinfecting the areas including houses under quarantine on alternative days,” the local councillor said.

Nearby, in sector-2, residents are going a step further to ensure that those dependent on certain services such as houses under quarantine, senior citizens and students living on their own are looked after. The RWA here has made a roster of families who would provide daily meals to the security guards and those living alone.

“There were two airline pilots here, who were under self quarantine after their travel. They had tested negative for the virus. While the 14-day-isolation period is over for one, another is still undergoing it. We have assigned the duties of different families in the area to provide essential supplies and meals to them. They would leave the supplies at the doorstep. The same arrangement has been made for providing food and snacks to the guards throughout the day,” said Colonel R S Pahwa (Veteran), general secretary, NPSC Cooperative Group Housing Society.

KA Thomas, 67, who is on her own, said that her neighbours came to her rescue since the lockdown. “My immediate neighbour has been helping me with the essentials, as the domestic helps have not been allowed in. They call me twice a day to check if I need anything and leave it at the doorstep. It has been smooth so far,” said Thomas.

Similarly, in Dwarka sector-22, residents have been ensuring that people don’t step out unless it’s for essentials. “We have fixed a time for going out to buy supplies. Only one person per family is allowed to step out. We make an announcement through the public address system if we see people getting together such as in the park asking them to disperse,” said Rejimon C K, founder, Dwarka Forum.