Housing societies must ensure nobody steps out: Maharashtra government

With a three-week lockdown and work from home mandatory for most people, the state administration has tasked the managing committees of housing societies to ensure that residents do not step outside their homes unless essential. On Thursday, the deputy district registrar of co-operative societies issued a detailed dos and don’ts to housing societies to combat the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.
The order, issued on behalf of the collector, also requires the provision of sanitiser, soap, and water for every person entering the society gate. Members have been directed to collect demands of grocery, vegetables, etc from each member on the intercom and place orders with the nearestgrocery store or vegetable vendor.
‘Deliveries at hsg society gate only, ensure social distancing’
The managing committee also has to ensure that the delivery is made at the society gate, directs the order issued on behalf of the collector. It is then to be delivered to every flat by the security or by calling one member from every family to come to the gate and collect the provisions. However, if the distribution is at the gate, then social distancing has to be ensured.
The committee members even have to verify that those returning from abroad are strictly quarantined and health check-ups are done as per medical advice.
Office-bearers have been made responsible to ensure residents do not step out of the society gates unless absolutely essential.
They also have to enforce that senior citizens and children do not come in contact in common open spaces, like the club house or garden. Most societies have already shut these amenities and proactively put in place restrictions to ensure that residents stay completely under lockdown. Some have also ensured that senior citizens who live alone are taken care of by neighbours in turns.
Additionally, all help, including maids, drivers, caregivers and newspaper vendors, have been banned from housing societies, with only the conservancy worker and milk delivery person allowed entry beyond the gates.
Ruchir Bansal, a Churchgate resident, said their building has minimised movement of vehicles. “Provisions and medicines are to be collected at the gate. We have banned the entry of help, except those catering to senior citizens who live alone.” he said. The landlady of a residential building near Mantralaya in south Mumbai said they too have placed restrictions. “Today, I shot off a letter to one or two residents who would not listen. Deliveries are to be collected at the gate; service staff has been minimised. How long it will hold out I do not know,” she said.