Gurugram’s Eldeco Mansionz locks itself in, but after making arrangements for the help

In Edelco Mansionz, a villa-style condominium located near Sohna road in Sector 48, every morning and evening, residents both young and old can be seen bouncing

In Edelco Mansionz, a villa-style condominium located near Sohna road in Sector 48, every morning and evening, residents both young and old can be seen bouncing a basketball or swinging a bat in the air to hit sixes in their front yards. Some are playing badminton, using bed sheets hung between two hooks for nets. The participation is restricted to family members.

“We shut down the club and sports areas a long time back, as per guidelines, so people got creative and have started using their yards as make-shift recreational areas. They are playing everything from cricket, football, basketball to badminton,” said Manish Narang, president of the Edelco Mansionz resident welfare association (RWA).

A nationwide lockdown was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a period of 21 days, beginning March 25, to curb the outbreak of the Sars-Cov-2. The residency, in an attempt to lower the health risks for its almost 500-odd residents living in 141 villas, has provided accommodation to 15 staff members inside the property. The society’s clubhouse was opened to the staff where they can sleep and use the facilities. The staff, which are mainly responsible for security, housekeeping, maintenance and horticulture, were asked to bring in their own bedding, said Narang. They have been provided with rations and a cook who cooks for them four times a day. The idea behind this, according to the RWA, is to reduce the movement of staff to and from the society as it poses risks for both residents and the families of the staff. The society also came forward to help its in-house washerman who ran his business from the inside the residential complex.

“We provided him with some money to make sure the lockdown does not put him under monetary constraints. We knew that with the lockdown, people will not be giving much laundry to be done outside so we wanted to provide him with some financial help,” said Narang. He added that all the other staff who were not working had been given paid leave keeping the situation in mind.

No vendors or domestic helps are being allowed to enter or exit the society, so as to cut down on risks of coronavirus spreading. All parcels and packages are delivered at the gate of the residential complex from where they are either picked up by residents or delivered at doorsteps by guards. The society’s grocery vendor has been provided with fixed points from where he can sell his produce. Only two residents are allowed to go near his cart at a time.

“He comes to the society on alternate days and only two people are allowed at a time. One day we found out that he had not eaten the whole day because selling his vegetables here took up a lot of time. So we decided to arrange food for him,” said Shama Datt, a member of the RWA. She added that for other essential needs, some residents place their order on WhatsApp to a shop that is owned by a resident. On his way back, after closing his shop, he brings in the orders.

For several residents, yoga is a daily fixture. The society even has a yoga club. However, with the lockdown in place, classes have been suspended to avoid large gatherings. Walks around the 17-acre property have been restricted to only one member per family at a time and no two residents should be seen walking together.

For senior residents living alone and dependent on help, the residency has allowed their domestic helps to stay with them. It is also checking up on them routinely to ensure they have all essential items in place. From time to time, a guard is sent to check in on them. However, for those unable to move around too much due to old age, the RWA is still trying to figure out a system to help them with daily chores, said Datt.

Datt, an active member of the society’s cultural group, regularly participates in kitty parties, potlucks and gatherings. However, in light of the coronavirus outbreak, such activities have been put on hold. For the time being, they have opted for virtual interactions on apps.

“We do group chats with each other, share recipes, discuss what all we did through the day, among other things. There are days when you miss seeing the face of your neighbour so video calls help. We even play Facebook games where you estimate the prices of items,” said Datt.