Sleepy Panchsheel Park even more quiet than it was before
Gated colony has provided protective gear like gloves and masks to guards, garbage collectors
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There are no grocery stores or markets inside the neighbourhood, and the nearest ones are at least a couple of kilometres away, acquiring everyday essentials has been our biggest worry.
AKRITI SEHGAL , a resident
“We have provided gloves, masks, and sanitisers to the guards and garbage collectors in the colony as well. As far as domestic helps are concerned, we have not made any restrictions and have left it to the individual residents to decide on their entry,” he added.
Community parks in the neighbourhood have also been locked to people gathering there, and access has been restricted to gardeners.
While Vaish said the RWA has handed out a list of telephone numbers that can be used to order essential items, residents complained that they were unable to procure groceries at all, during the first couple two days of the lockdown.
“Perhaps because people in the area hardly interact with each other, it is difficult to get information on how things are being managed,” Sehgal said. She added that while grocery has been an issue, vegetable vendors have been coming into the colony, saving them the trouble.
Praveen Sharma (56), also a resident of North Block, said that lack of access to essentials is resulting in people overstocking, and causing crowds in nearby markets.
“I still see people walking on the roads in groups of three or four in the evenings,” she said.
In this moment of crisis though, residents of the area have also coordinated among themselves to help out those in need. “We have a group of volunteers taking care of the needs of the elderly, and another group is feeding stray animals here,” Vaish said.
He also said the Panchsheel Club, a neighbour hood club that has now been shut for residents, has been providing meals to be distributed among the underprivileged across the city.
The club, run by the Residents’ Welfare Association , has tied up with a few NGOS, and also hands out food to the police as well as civil service volunteers.
A nationwide lockdown has been imposed on the movement of people for 21 days to prevent the spread of the deadly coronavirus.
The national capital has reported 97 cases of Covid-19 so far, according to health ministry data. The deadly virus has claimed two lives in the city.