Kandivli, Sewri housing societies form ‘anti-corona teams’

Meanwhile, more than 200 residents at Sewri’s Ashok Gardens have taken up different daily activities to ensure the society, comprising 522 flats and 2,000 residents, functions smoothly during the lockdown.

Two housing complexes, in Kandivli and Sewri, have setup anti-corona teams comprising residents, to help citizens in combating daily issues during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Other responsibilities include monitoring daily cleaning activities, refilling sanitisers at common areas, and replacing toothpicks being used to operate lift buttons. (Abhijit Bhatlekar/ Mint file photo. Representative image)

The 15-storeyed Kamla Ashish housing complex in Kandivli with 250 residents has a core team of five members that have prepared a checklist of daily activities, a register noting in and out time for citizens, and issue passes for one person per family to go out for essentials. Without the pass, residents cannot exit the society premises. The team uses closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras round the clock to monitor those entering and exiting in shifts.

“We must follow rules of quarantine strictly. For this, we have constituted the task force to help others as well as ensure all our guidelines are followed,” said Amit Kotak, treasurer. “These five residents also cater to all requirements for senior citizens to ensure they do not step out.”

Other responsibilities include monitoring daily cleaning activities, refilling sanitisers at common areas, and replacing toothpicks being used to operate lift buttons. “A grill outside the lift is locked everyday post 8pm and opened only in case of medical emergencies. This team further makes daily announcements about safety guidelines,” said Kunal Ajmera, committee member.

Meanwhile, more than 200 residents at Sewri’s Ashok Gardens have taken up different daily activities to ensure the society, comprising 522 flats and 2,000 residents, functions smoothly during the lockdown. While 55 people are holding guard as security, 30 residents are in-charge of housekeeping, 40 fulfil requirements for home-alone senior citizens, 10 cater to gardening and waste management, seven in-charge of electricity, 10 resident doctors look into queries and medical concerns, 25 residents supply essentials to quarantined families, 10 citizens communicate with the civic body for daily updates and important information, five are in-charge of the sewage treatment plant and 30 help the in-house grocery and vegetable store.

“We had 185 staff members, who live close to the complex, sub-contracted for us for most of these activities (that the anti-corona team has taken up) before the lockdown,” said Capt Prakash Correa, secretary of the society.

“A few days into the lockdown, we minimised the number of workers to 25, who were provided temporary residential and food facilities within the complex. The idea was to not have any interface with the outside world. To compensate for lesser staff, over 200 residents volunteered and were given the option of which verticals they would like to choose.”