At a time when social distancing is the need of the hour to check the spread of coronavirus, residents of housing societies in Pimpri-Chinchwad are using terraces and open spaces within the compound to gather for group activities. Police are now thinking of using drones to keep an eye on such activities. Many people have also demanded the need of stricter enforcement of the lockdown within residential societies. Pimpri-Chinchwad has 4,000 cooperative residential societies. Most societies have locked their gates after the coronavirus scare was triggered when two positive cases surfaced on March 12. Many have disallowed newspaper and milk vendors, while trying to stop as many people as possible from stepping outside. Only essential service providers, such as police personnel, civic staff and healthcare workers, are allowed to step outside. Like Pune city, Pimpri-Chinchwad has also been declared a containment zone since April 20. During this period, the police were aiming at strict enforcement of the lockdown. While there is a four-hour window to buy essential items in the morning, the scenario in the evenings is completely different. Residents are seen making full use of their terraces and open spaces within housing societies for conducting various activities, including sports, exercise and entertainment from 6 pm to 11 pm. Shridhar Chalka, a resident of Sambhajinagar, said, “In Sambhajinagar, Purnanagar, Yamunanagar and Nigdi, terraces in several societies have become virtual playgrounds. From children to middle-aged residents, they crowd the terraces, which do not have much space to accommodate all.” Chalkha said people did not understand that they had to maintain distance. “What is the use of locking the society gates when inside, residents are freely mingling with each other?” he asked. Samar Kamtekar, a resident of a colony in Bhosari, said, “In Bhosari, residents use open spaces for walking. While walking, they don’t maintain social distancing. A chairman of a society had called the police, but they did not turn up.” Kamtekar added that in Dighi area too, he had seen citizens violating social distancing norms. Rishikesh Marale, a resident of Kasarwadi, said, “Terraces seem to have become a gathering point in residential societies. In the evenings, people are carrying out carrom, chess and other activities freely and openly. Only some wear masks. Women are out in huge numbers on terraces,” he said. Pradnya Patil, a resident of Rahatni, said, “The police and the PCMC (Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation) should make it clear if residents can freely mingle within society premises. I think since it is happening across the city, it calls for tough measures.” Chetan Morwal, a resident of the IT hub in Wakad, said, “Whether within society premises or in slums, social distancing is being ignored by people. The police need to raid such places to keep a check on violators.” Chalkha added if police used drones to keep an eye on residential societies, it will help a great deal in keeping a check on the spread of coronavirus. Responding to the demand for the use of drones over residential societies, Deputy Commissioner of Police Smita Patil said they were using drones for crowd control on roads, but had not used it for residential societies. “We might start using drones to keep people indoors. We have received complaints regarding violation of social distancing norms within society compounds. We have entered a couple of societies after receiving complaints and taken action,” Patil said. Additional Municipal Commissioner Santosh Patil said, “Whenever we receive complaints regarding violation of norms in society premises, we alert the police. Recently, we had received two such complaints from Chinchwad area and immediately alerted the police,” he said. Patil said the PCMC had installed cameras at 80 chowks across the city. “Around 270 cameras have been installed to control crowds but we have not installed cameras in society premises as they are private spaces. But what is important is that people should realise the importance of social distancing. We cannot police homes and buildings,” he said.
