30 April,2021 04:14 AM IST | Mumbai | Vinod Kumar Menon
Many Kutchi businessmen from Mumbai shifted to their second home in Deolali since the lockdown started
If work-from-home allowed many creative professionals move out of Mumbai during the first wave, the second wave has made a new lot of working professionals and their families move to smaller communities outside the city in the hope of avoiding the dreaded virus and the added benefit of quick no-hassle vaccination.
This lot includes those who work in large law and technology firms and entrepreneurs. Their chosen destinations are second homes in places like Lonavala, Deolali, Alibaug, etc., where they have got easy access to vaccines and say the local population strictly adheres to restrictions. They intend to stay put till the situation in Mumbai eases.
Solicitor Stuti Galiya, who is a partner at a leading city law firm, said complacency set in among Mumbaikars after restrictions were eased and she saw the situation rapidly change in February. As cases surged in March, she saw buildings around the city getting sealed, triggering memories of long queues, shortage of medicines and beds from last year's peak.
"Prioritising our family's health, we took a conscious decision to move to our second home in Lonavala," said Galiya. "It is near Mumbai, but also away from the bustle. My husband, who is also a corporate lawyer, and I have been working from home last year. Internet connectivity is not an issue and we are functioning seamlessly. During weekends, it is a strict lockdown here and everything is shut except medical shops. The local authorities have been managing the situation effectively."
Her husband Advocate Awadesh Jha said his mother easily got her second vaccine dose in Lonavala. "The area has good civic amenities and is well-connected to Pune, Navi Mumbai and Mumbai," he said.
Many others from the couple's personal and professional circles have temporarily moved to places like Lonavala, Karjat, Deolali, Alibaug and even Goa. They said property prices have risen in such places due to the demand and that they have seen a number of properties being registered even during the lockdown.
"We have tried our hands at planting saplings in our garden, an activity we have never tried before. We were starting some of these plants a little early, and we didn't know how well they would thrive. But it was exciting when, weeks later, pale shoots began to emerge. Sitting amid the lush green plants and watching your hard work come alive makes you happy and feel fulfilled," said Galiya.
At Deolali, Kutchi business families from Dadar, Ghatkopar, Thane, Dahisar, Borivli and Santacruz have moved to their bungalows in gated communities.
Santacruz residents Jegna and Arvind Kariya moved a few weeks ago, when the situation around them started affecting them personally. "Our business has been going through highs and lows for a few months, and with the recent lockdown, this shift was needed," said Jegna. "We realised the concrete jungles may look attractive, but only greenery around us can help us breathe in peace and rejuvenate our already stressed minds. Also, we were finding it difficult to get vaccinated in Mumbai, due to the shortage. Here, we visited a nearby medical college and were out within 45 minutes after taking our jabs."
Arvind said following the 2001 Kutch earthquake, community elders who had lost everything started moving to Deolali, and soon it became a sort of second home for the community at large. Properties are in demand here too.
"Unlike Mumbai, shops are open till 11 am here and within our gated complex, we are able to live as one large family, doing everything that we missed in Mumbai during the pandemic - yoga, cycling, trekking, etc," he said.
Another new resident in Deolali is Heeraben Gada (78), from a Ghatkopar highrise, where she lived with her son and family. The first lockdown meant she was unable to leave her eighteenth floor flat. It was not something she wanted to experience again when the second wave came. In Deolali, she has rediscovered her mobility and freedom. If her son needs to be in Mumbai, a round-the-clock maid takes over.
"The gated community is spread on approximately two acres of land and we have around 20 bungalows," said her son Vinod. "Staying here is the new normal for us and we are enjoying every moment. COVID has taught us a lot in the last one and half year - earlier we would work round the clock, and in the process, ignore our family and health. Today, though we are forced to be inside the house, we are fortunate to be with our family, supporting each other in every way. From mopping floors to chopping vegetables, the men in the family have pitched in."
From Deolali, Vinod even coordinates and supervises a newly started 100-bed COVID Care Centre run by the Ghatkopar Vagad Visa Oswal Samaj in Ghatkopar (W).
"Out of 100, 36 beds are now occupied," said Vinod. "We have basic life-saving setups, and will be expanding shortly. This was done as our community felt the need to help COVID patients who were finding it difficult to get beds, and doctors in our circles helped make this centre operational. We are hoping the local BMC ward office will help us procure lifesaving medicines and also help us in shifting any emergency patients to nearby Covid set-ups. We will decide on returning to Mumbai after May 15, when the government decides on the lockdown."
Nishit Kumar, founder and managing director, Centre for Social and Behaviour Change Communication, said, "Whether you own a flat in Mumbai and one in a holiday location or you rent in Mumbai, you are possibly considering shifting your WFH location out of Mumbai. When it became clear that last year's pandemic lockdown was going to be an extended one, hundreds of Mumbaikars choose to shift their WFH location to Goa/Alibaug/ Deolali and other such locations. Quality of life, pollution, traffic density, noise, small flats, etc contributed. But more importantly, corporates made it possible by embracing WFH. They facilitated the moves with software configured laptops, hi-speed network connections and suitable adjustments in leave policy. This has been an important factor. Corporates are now more than ever geared to a hybrid workplace that is a mix of physical offices and WFH. All major Corporates anyway work on dedicated Enterprise-wide software platforms. For you, what's on offer is the cutting out of commuting time, cleaner air and natural surroundings that are stress busters. That said, small locations have poor infrastructure both in health and administration, power problems, and fewer choices for branded product users. For some years now creative professionals have been shifting to places such as Goa. Unfortunately, this move is also accompanied by increased working in front of laptops, hazy boundaries between work hours and personal time, social isolation and problems of schools/colleges for families who have children. It's no surprise that Corporates are increasingly focusing on mental health issues," Nishit concluded.
Psychotherapist Dr Shivani Pawar said the second wave of COVID 19 pandemic is largely impacting the mental health of people living in cities like Mumbai. "The fear of getting infected, uncertainty about lockdown, worry about their parents and family staying away from them in their respective hometowns, inadequate medical facilities, financial losses created stress amongst the professionals working in Mumbai. Most of the people are moving back to their hometowns as they feel the city won't be able to provide them the kind of support they might need during crisis. This support which is readily available for them in their native place.
"While it's not a permanent solution, it will certainly mitigate the panic. During such unprecedented times people returning to their native places is extremely beneficial in reducing the overburdened pressure in the health system of city. I believe that if one can afford to safely return to their hometown, they should do so because it will first make them feel secure, and a good state of mind will help them cope with the pandemic more effectively. I have witnessed a significant spike in distress calls in the last month, proving that the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic is largely impacting the mental health of people especially those who are living in Mumbai for work away from their natives."
