Residents step up to help with maintenance work

As the provision of many services has been affected across the country amid the 21-day national lockdown, announced to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic,

As the provision of many services has been affected across the country amid the 21-day national lockdown, announced to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, resident welfare associations (RWAs) of some condominiums and residential sectors in the city have turned to their residents to get maintenance work done.

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For instance, at Sushant Lok in Phase 1, the local RWA reached out to the residents last week looking for volunteers who could take up electrical and plumbing work in the neighbourhood.

Sudhir Sachdeva, member of the RWA said that the township had tied-up with a private agency for maintenance related work in the area, but after the 21-day national lockdown was announced, the services provided by the agency services came to a sudden halt.

“Last week, through our society Whatsapp groups, we asked residents to volunteer to fix electrical and plumbing related problems in our area. Twenty residents, who they said have some degree of expertise in plumbing and electrical work volunteered for the task and have been visiting homes ever since,” Sachdeva said.

Residents who have volunteered said that given the unusual circumstances those who can should step up. “This is an unprecedented situation for all of us. The only way to get through this phase is by looking out for each other and when the RWA asked for assistance from residents, I immediately volunteered. I have some basic knowledge with electrical circuits and have been fixing problems related to electrical work in the area,” Anant Malik, a Sushant Lok resident, said.

While some of the RWAs have already appointed duties to the volunteer residents, others are in the process of setting up similar volunteer groups in case the lockdown is lifted for only a short duration and maintenance staff choose to return to their home towns when they can.

In Princeton Estate, a condominium in DLF 5, the local RWA issued a circular on Monday, asking for volunteers to take up maintenance-related work such as security, housekeeping, horticulture, electrical, plumbing, and other such work. The circular stated that the RWA is trying to constitute an ‘emergency task force’ within a week, as a standby measure to take over maintenance duties in the near future if the Covid-19 outbreak is not contained and the existing staff chooses to return to their home towns.

Arati Pandya, joint secretary, Princeton Estate Condominium Association said the condominium is currently operating with 50% staff. All the staff members have been provided with accommodation within the condominium. She said, however, there is a possibility that the condominium’s staff may leave for their respective home towns in case the outbreak is not contained.

“While the chances of such situation arising are very less, we want to be fully prepared in case such a situation does arise. Thus, with a view to prepare ourselves better, a circular has been issued within the condominium asking for volunteers to come forward. Depending on the response, we will constitute a team,” Pandya said.

In Sector 14, the RWA has also identified residents who have volunteered for carrying out electric and plumbing related work in their area.

“With the help of residents, we have made arrangements for fixing plumbing and electrical related issues in our locality. The volunteers help out those families who need some quick and basic repairs. Recently, in one house, there was some issue with the sewerage and the volunteers looked into it,” Kalyan Singh Sharma, a member of the RWA, said.

At Old DLF Colony, in Sector 14, residents themselves have come together to make a similar arrangement.

“We have people in our society who know some plumbing or electrical work and they have come forward to help others. People are collaborating with each other and everyone is helping their neighbours,” Kulbhushan Bhardwaj, a resident, said.