From making rules to getting essentials, residents’ associations show the way

One such is the four-decade-old Ganesh Apartments in Mylapore. The complex with five blocks and 40 flats has made available the phone number of a vegetable vendor from Koyembadu to the residents. “The vegetables and fruits mobile van makes periodic visits and stops within walking distance of the flats for the residents to pick up their items. The residents have found this extremely safe and convenient, as they have not had the need to move out to the market place,” said Sampath Dorairajan, president, Ganesh Apartments Welfare Association (GAWA).

Karthik Srinivasan, Communications Consultant, cited the experience of having tasted the “yummiest grapes” recently. Rather than e-commerce stores or neighborhood stores, these were delivered to homes by farmers who are in direct touch with apartment’s RWA.

“They got the RWA members to do the order management (on WhatsApp) to gauge interest and then landed up with the stock. A few days ago, it was musk melons delivered the same way. Mangoes, next week! It’s not just neighbourhood farmers who are looking at this direct-to-consumer-viaRWA channel. Bigger brands, too, are looking at RWAs. I noticed Del Monte talking about it as an official channel. Metro Cash & Carry and Spencer’s, too, are doing it.”

In his view, start-ups like CommonFloor, MyGate, ApartmentAdda and ApnaComplex were perceived as the gatekeepers of RWAs in India. “But these start-ups haven’t been able to harness RWAs as a sales channel for outside vendors. This pandemic has exploited the potential of RWAs as a full-fledged sales channel. I expect this to stay and even flourish. The start-ups that manage entry or apartment administration could play a much bigger role by being the enabler,” he added.

Associations tighten rules Concerns over the rapid spread of the infection has also made the associations to tighten the rules, including restricting entry for non-residents and even disallowing residents to step outside without a valid reason.

The Ganesh Apartments Welfare Association, for instance, laid down rules for the residents after the lockdown was announced in March, said its secretary, A Kalyanaraman. “Outsiders are not allowed into the apartments. When there are exceptional circumstances, the visitors can enter but have to compulsorily wear a mask. No one will be allowed into the apartments without it,” he explained.

Sanjay Chugh, who lives in a 150plus apartment complex, on Harrington Road, Chetpet, said the association at his complex has a similar policy. “There is a reception area where delivery persons are received and sent off. Use of sanitisers and masks is mandatory and we are also fumigating periodically,” the real estate professional said, recalling an instance where he had to communicate with his colleagues, who were on an official visit at his complex, at the reception area.

Another example is the Kochar Panchsheel Association in Ambattur. “The management and maintenance team work in perfect unison. The maintenance and housekeeping personnel (who live in far-off places) have been accommodated in the service apartments with breakfast, lunch and dinner taken care off. Every advisory from the government is immediately put up in colourful posters and no resident is allowed to go out without a proper reason,” says a senior citizen owner, who moved in recently.