In these uncertain times, associations are doing their best to help the society residents in every way possible. One of them is sharing a list of emergency contacts among the residents to help them find quick assistance in the times of absolute need. However, in most cases, this information is broadcasted via WhatsApp or other such channels and is at the risk of getting lost/unnoticed.

MyGate’s Emergency Numbers feature is helping society associations in making this list available for the residents right on the user app. Over 3000 societies are using this feature to create a single directory and ensure the residents find instant help when needed.

This feature doesn’t require separate enrollment. In order for the contacts to appear on the user app, admins are required to populate them through the MyGate dashboard. 

Some of the critical contacts that you could add:
– Main gate security guard
– Nearest emergency services
– Members of the committee

How to add contacts

Step 1: On your MyGate admin dashboard, Click on People Hub and scroll down to Emergency Contacts

Step 2: Click on Add Emergency Contact to list all necessary emergency numbers on the user app.

Step 3: Choose the type of the emergency contact and enter the required details.

Step 4: Click on Save to complete

Contact your management committee or MyGate relationship manager to enable Emergency Contacts for your society today!

The terms are applicable to all Users.

Please read the terms and conditions as contained herein-below carefully and thoroughly, prior to proceeding further with MyGate Cash Services (‘Services’). By Clicking on ‘Proceed’ or ‘Confirm’, You agree and accept to be bound by these Services terms and conditions (‘T&Cs’) set-out herein.

These T&Cs are in addition to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy of the MyGate Platform that applies to You when You access and register on the MyGate Platform for availing the MyGate Platform Services. The Terms and Conditions and these T&Cs shall be read harmoniously. In case of any conflict, these T&Cs shall prevail solely in relation to the Services and limited to the extent of conflict.

All capitalised terms used herein however not defined, shall have the meaning ascribed to them under the MyGate Platform Terms and Conditions and/or the Privacy Policy. All information collected by the MyGate Platform to provide the Services will also be covered under the Privacy Policy.

This document/agreement/understanding is a computer-generated electronic record published in terms of Rule 3 of the Information Technology (Intermediaries Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 read with Information Technology Act, 2000 and does not require any physical or digital signatures.

Key attributes of MyGate Cash

Vivish Technologies Private Limited (“MyGate”) have entered agreement(s) with Banks, NBFC’s and Lending Service Providers (“LSP”), wherein the role of MyGate is merely a platform provider with user interface that facilitate borrowing by a borrower from a Banks / NBFCs partnered by LSP’s (“Lender/s”). It is expressly stated that MyGate Platform does not operate as a ‘Digital Lending Application’ or ‘DLA’ and is not an LSP as defined under the Guidelines for Digital Lending, 2022 issued by the RBI. MyGate is merely an intermediary connecting the interested users to LSP for facilitating provision of loans offered by Lenders partnered with the LSP.

MyGate Cash provides services for the following:

Lenders onboarded with QFi Technologies Private Limited (“Niro Money”)

Name of Loan Service Provider (LSP) : QFI TECHNOLOGIES PRIVATE LIMITED
Website URL : https://niro.money/our-loans
List of Activities carried out by LSP :1. Lead generation 2. Support on risk management 3. Assisted branding / marketing 4. Loan customer journey ( KYC,NACH,Agreement ) 5. Loan servicing 6. Compliance and regulatory reporting (MIS) 7. Collections 8. Customer Support
Details of Nodal Officer and Grievance Redressal Official of LSP :
Name: Mr. Sankalp Mathur
Designation: Nodal Grievance Redressal Officer of LSP
Contact No: 8095206500
Email Id : [email protected]
Address: 313/1, Workden, Ground Floor, 7th Cross, Patel Rama Reddy Road, Domlur Layout Bengaluru 560071.
Additional Information :
Sachet Portal Link: https://sachet.rbi.org.in/
Privacy Policy: https://niro.money/privacy-policy/

Process for availing MyGate Cash loans

Based on the Lender’s preliminary lending criteria, MyGate may show loan offerings to You. Provided however, MyGate may choose to introduce, vary or withdraw such offers at any time and MyGate does not guarantee or assure You of loan offerings being available. You can avail the loan by completing the loan disbursal journey on MyGate which includes – KYC verification, Video KYC verification, creation of e-NACH mandate and OTP based electronic execution of loan documents. At any stage of the loan disbursal journey, including but not limited to upon failure in completing the KYC process or upon inability to create e-NACH mandate, the Lender may decline to issue the loan. The Lender has the discretion in refusing a loan to You for any reason whatsoever.

A Key Facts Statement (KFS) along with details such as principal amount, EMI, processing fee and rate of interest will be displayed to You.

In compliance with the RBI Guidelines on Digital Lending dated 02.09.2022, the details of the third parties who are deputed for collection purposes in the case of each specific case of default shall be communicated to the defaulter at the time of sharing such personal information.

Key Borrower Covenants

All loan offers are being provided and administered by the respective Lender, in accordance with extant RBI guidelines. MyGate and/or any of its group, subsidiary, associate and/or affiliate entities, do not offer, approve, disburse or sell, any loans on their own accord and do not own or claim to own any loan products of their own. All transactions are independent bilateral transactions between You and the Lender who is offering / approving grant of loan to You.

You agree that by opting for loan services, you are interested in availing the loan facilities from the Lender. You specifically understand and agree that by using the MyGate Platform You authorize MyGate, LSP and Lender to contact you for sharing communications w.r.t any kind of promotions/ advertisements/ communication related to ongoing offers; follow ups; etc. in relation to the loan facility opted by You. You expressly waive the Do Not Call registrations on your phone / mobile number for contacting you for this purpose. You hereby authorize MyGate to share your details with third parties, including but not limited to the Lender, LSP and You can be contacted by third parties, including but not limited to the LSP, Lender, for information and for sales through email, telephone and/or SMS/WhatsApp.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary stated under Privacy Policy (as provided for and updated from time to time), You hereby on Your own free wilful accord expresses intention to avail loan facility. You unconditionally & unequivocally grant permission to MyGate to share following information with LSP, Lender who shall be independently accessing Your information and evaluate your creditworthiness and decide on granting loan facility to You:

• Personal information such as name, date of birth, mailing address, email address, telephone number etc.
• Landlord Details (in case Rent Pay feature was availed earlier).

If you express your interest in availing the loan, you will be required to share your personal information including but not limited to your KYC documents, financial details and other documents, as may be required by the Lender to assess your loan application, directly with the LSP. MyGate does not collect or access any information furnished by You during your loan journey with the LSP. Collection, use and storage of your personal information shall be governed by LSP terms and conditions and privacy policy which shall form a binding contract between you and the LSP. You are advised to read the LSP terms and conditions and privacy policy prior to sharing your information with the LSP. MyGate shall not in anyway be liable for any claims you may have in connection with use of your personal information and documents submitted by you to the LSP as part of the loan journey. In the event of any claims against the LSP, you are required to raise your claims and concerns with the Nodal Grievance Officer of the LSP as specified in the T&C above.

You hereby declare and certify that, (a) You are 18 years of age or older; (b) You are legally entitled to enter into loan agreement with Lender to avail the said loan facility; (c) any and all information furnished by You during the course of Your journey to avail the loan facility is / shall be true, correct, updated and accurate; (d) You shall keep all Your information up to date; (e) that purpose of availing the loan facility by You is for your personal use only and that You understand that You shall not be using / permitted to use the loan facility for any other purpose including unlawful purposes and/or antisocial purpose or making investment in the capital market or speculative purposes.

You hereby expressly acknowledge, understand and warrants that grant or denial of loan facility to You is at complete, absolute and sole discretion of the Lender. You further understand that the Lender may reject or put on hold your loan application (with or without any reason) in their sole discretion and judgement. The decision of Lender shall be final and binding. MyGate in no event shall be responsible for any acts or actions of Lender including delay, rejection, cancellation, early recall of loan, act of omission or commission, negligence, breach of confidentiality, breach of applicable laws, failure on part of Lender to discharge its obligations. You understand that MyGate is merely a facilitator, who has no bearing or control over the decision-making process of Lender.

By availing the loan facility, You hereby expressly agree, covenant, and consent that, these T&Cs (read with Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy of the MyGate Platform) along-with Key Fact Statement (KFS), Sanction Letter, Loan Agreement and all other relevant documents issued by the Lender shall constitute as legally binding agreement upon You. You hereby unconditionally and unequivocally assure that, You shall at all time remain compliant with the said agreements. Failure to remain compliant with the said agreements may result in early termination of Your loan account / suspension of loan facility, termination / suspension of Your access to MyGate Platform. You understand that the LSP, Lender, MyGate reserves the right to initiate appropriate legal action against You arising due to Your non-compliance of the said agreement and/or these T&Cs, which shall be solely at your risk, cost and expense.

You shall solely and exclusively remain responsible towards payments of any and all taxes, tariffs, fees, commissions or such charges as may arise or become applicable as a result of You availing loan facility. You should make Yourself familiar with all terms and conditions relating to loan facility proposed to be availed by You including the Annual Percentage Rate (APR), KFS, interest, charges penalty(ies), commission, fees (as may be applicable). Upon Your acceptance of Your loan facility agreement, You shall be legally bound to adhere to the entire loan facility agreement in letter and spirit.

THE INTEREST RATE MENTIONED IN OUR (GENERIC) COMMUNICATIONS AND/OR MYGATE PLATFORM (VIA BANNER, NOTIFICATIONS) IS ONLY FOR INFORMATIVE PURPOSE. DEPENDING ON YOUR PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES (INCLUDING YOUR CREDIT SCORE, OTHER RISK METRICS DECIDED BY LENDER) THE INTEREST RATE OFFERED TO YOU MAY BE HIGHER OR DIFFERENT. MYGATE (INCLUDING THE GROUP COMPANIES, AND EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS ETC.) DOES NOT MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION OR COMMITMENT OR ASSURANCE ON RATES AND TERMS OF BORROWING. PLEASE CHECK ALL RATES AND TERMS BEFORE BORROWING.

It is always recommended that, You should ensure to make full, complete and timely payment(s) towards your EMI amount on its due date. Delay or default in making payments your EMI payments may have adverse consequences which may include but not limited to loan recall, penalty(ies), legal / recovery proceedings and/or impact on Your creditworthiness.

You understand and agree that in case of EMI default or outstanding amount payment default, or breach by You of any terms and conditions of the loan agreement executed with the Lender, the Lender, at its sole discretion, may initiate appropriate legal / recovery proceedings or take any other action against You as per applicable law and/or as per the terms of Your Loan Agreement. You understand and agree that MyGate shall in no manner whatsoever be held liable or responsible for any such action initiated by the Lender (including reporting of your default of credit bureau) and You hereby discharge MyGate of all liabilities or claims or acts or actions in complete and absolute manner.

You hereby understand and agree that, as a prerequisite to avail loan facility You shall be required to consent and authorize the Lender to create and hold the mandate for auto debiting Your designated bank account (such as NACH / eNACH / ECS mandate) towards repayment of loan facility in EMI.

Where You use MyCash Services to pay Rent to the Landlord, You would be responsible for entering the correct bank accounts details of the Beneficiary/Landlord and You authorize the Lender to remit the amount directly to the Landlord. In no circumstances, MyGate, LSP or the Lender shall be held responsible for any wrongful payment due to incorrect bank details. You will not be entitled to receive any kind of refund for providing incorrect information.

Information and Grievance Redressal

You shall have information in relation to the loan available on the App. If the information is not sufficient to resolve the query, the user may reach out at [email protected]. However, You are also entitled to contact the relevant Lender and/or follow the relevant Lender’s grievance redressal policy.

Disclaimer

You understand that MyGate and/or LSP shall merely be facilitating in creation of such auto-debit mandates and does not hold the mandate in its own name or favor. For abundant clarity, it is stated that, all repayment(s) is executed by You directly in the Lender’s account, without any reference to MyGate.

You understand that You shall be required to pay the entire amount of the EMI for a particular month on or before the payment due date, as indicated by the Lender. In the event the payment is not made by the due date as specified, it will be construed as a default and You shall be liable to pay the EMI amount together with the additional interest and/ or late payment charges and/or such other charges indicated in your agreement with Lender. Non-payment of amounts due on the relevant due dates will have adverse consequences including: (i) having Your details reported to the credit bureaus; and (ii) suitable legal action as may be necessary to recover the outstanding amounts; and (iii) any other actions as specified under Loan Agreement.

MyGate will endeavour to have your query resolved by the LSP and/or Lender. Such resolution of query performed by MyGate is on “No liability basis” and You understand that the final resolution has to be offered by the Lender. The resolution offered by the Lender shall be final & binding. You have the right to directly reach out to Lender for resolution of your issues / concerns. Contact details of Lender(s) grievance redressal officers along with customer grievance redressal mechanism is published on our website on an as-is basis. The same may get updated as and when required and you must ensure yourself to be updated at all times about the same.

YOU AGREE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE DISPLAY OF LOAN FACILITY, OFFERED BY LENDER’S, ON THE MYGATE PLATFORM DOES NOT IN ANY WAY IMPLY, SUGGEST, OR CONSTITUTE ANY PARTNERSHIP, ASSOCIATION, RECOMMENDATION, OPINION, OR ADVICE BY MYGATE (INCLUDING ANY OF ITS GROUP, SUBSIDIARY, ASSOCIATE AND/OR AFFILIATE ENTITIES) AGAINST SUCH LOAN FACILITIES. YOU AGREE THAT MYGATE IS IN NO WAY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCURACY, TIMELINESS OR COMPLETENESS OF INFORMATION IT MAY OBTAIN FROM THIRD PARTIES. YOUR INTERACTION AND ANY SHARING OF YOUR DATA / INFORMATION (INCLUDING YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION, PAN INFORMATION) WITH ANY THIRD PARTY ACCESSED THROUGH THE PLATFORM IS AT YOUR OWN RISK & DISCRETION. MYGATE SHALL HAVE NO LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO ANY ACTS, OMISSIONS, ERRORS, REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES, BREACHES OR NEGLIGENCE OF ANY SUCH THIRD PARTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE LENDER, OR FOR ANY PERSONAL INJURIES, DEATH, PROPERTY DAMAGE, OR OTHER DAMAGES OR EXPENSES RESULTING FROM YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH ANY PARTIES. THE SERVICES ARE MADE AVAILABLE ON ‘AS IS’, ‘AS AVAILABLE’ BASIS, MYGATE MAKE NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY WITH REGARD TO MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

You hereby represents, warrants and covenants that (a) You are citizen and resident of India; (b) You are competent to enter into contract, having sound mind and that You are entering into this contract on Your own wilful accord; (c) to best of Your knowledge, you have no pending litigation against Yourself or You are not party of any litigation that may adversely affect Your capability to enter into contract or otherwise may prohibit You in future to enter into a contract. You hereby undertake, warrants and covenant that, You shall keep all your information updated, true, correct and accurate. You shall keep Your Lender updated of any change in your personal information (including your phone number, communication address, permanent address etc.)

You agree that if MyGate has reasonable grounds to suspect that the information provided by You on the Platform is untrue, inaccurate, not updated or incomplete, MyGate has the right to suspend or terminate Your account and refuse any and all current or future use of the Platform (or any portion thereof) or Platform Services in connection thereto.

No failure on the part of MyGate / Lender to exercise, and no delay on part of MyGate / Lender in exercising any right or remedy under this Agreement will operate as a waiver thereof, nor will any single or partial exercise of any right.

Indemnity & Limitation of Liability

You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless MyGate, its holding company, and their affiliates, subsidiary, their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, licensors, and any third party providers including (credit bureau, Lender) (‘Indemnified Parties’) from and against from any and all manner of liabilities, claims, demands, losses, compensation, interest, damages, costs and expenses (including court cost and reasonable attorneys’ fees), resulting from or arising out of Your decision to use the Services or your violation these T&Cs or any other terms and conditions applicable to Service (including loan agreement, sanction letter, KFS, etc.) or your violation of the intellectual property rights of Indemnified Parties.

You hereby waive any and all defenses, you may have to the enforceability of any loan resulting from loan agreement, that are based on the allegation that the loan agreement, any privacy consents, or any disclosures were supplied to You, were delivered in electronic form only, or on the allegation that Your signature / consent to the loan agreement was obtained electronically.

You shall not bring or present or make any demand(s) or claim(s), or action(s) or suit(s) or litigation(s) or proceeding(s) (including any injunctive relief) and You hereby irrevocably, unconditionally, completely and entirely release, waive and forever discharge MyGate, its holding company, and their affiliates, subsidiary, their respective officers, directors, employees, agents, licensors (‘Released Parties’), from any and all manner of liabilities, claims, demands, losses, compensation, interest, damages, costs and expenses (including court costs and reasonable attorney fees) whatsoever, in law or equity, whether now known or in future, which You may have against the Released Parties with respect to Your loan application and / or Your Loan Agreement and/or any action(s) initiated against You by Lender towards recovery of Loan and/or due to reporting of Your default to credit bureau and/or Your claim(s) towards deficiency of services towards Your loan facility.

General

These T&Cs shall be governed, interpreted, and construed in accordance with the laws of India, without regard to the conflict of law provisions and for resolution of any dispute arising out of your use of the Services or in relation to these T&Cs. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you agree that (i) MyGate has the right to bring any proceedings before any court/forum of competent jurisdiction and you irrevocably submit to the jurisdiction of such courts or forum; and (ii) any proceeding brought by you shall be exclusively before the courts in New Delhi, India.

You agree that we may transfer, subcontract or otherwise deal with our rights and/or obligations under these terms at any time without any further notice. You agree that you cannot assign or otherwise transfer, subcontract the terms or any rights granted hereunder to any third party,

Please review Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions of the Platform. MyGate collects, uses and discloses information about You as provided in Privacy Policy.

You agree that you are legally permitted and have the power and authority to execute the Loan Documents (by way of clicking the confirm and accept via OTP) and take a personal loan.

You understand that the digital trail of the entire process of applying for the digital loan has been duly approved and authenticated by you through One Time Password (OTP) method and the digital trail shall be maintained by LSP / Lender / MyGate, which shall be the sole and binding evidence on the application, utilization and your obligation to re-pay all outstanding amount/s as per the Loan Agreement.

Updation

Please note that the information contained herein is subject to change without notice.

The Information Technology (IT) business is prospering in today’s digital age, and India has emerged as a worldwide IT hub. With several places across the country offering intriguing employment prospects, it’s critical to investigate the top IT job destinations. This article will help you make an informed career choice by providing an in-depth study of the finest IT cities in India.

Over the years, India’s IT industry has grown dramatically, attracting computer aficionados from all over the world. With so many places vying for your attention, this guide will assist you in navigating the various panorama of IT career prospects in India.

1. Bangalore

Bengaluru, sometimes known as the ‘Silicon Valley of India,’ is India’s largest information technology (IT) hub. It is home to major global technology companies, including Infosys, Wipro, and TCS, as well as numerous startups. The rise of several educational institutions, such as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), has contributed to the city’s popularity in the IT sector.

Karnataka’s government has also made significant efforts to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. Furthermore, Bengaluru boasts a beautiful climate and cosmopolitan culture, which attracts tech experts from all over the world.

IT companies in Bengaluru can be found in regions such as Electronic City, Whitefield, Koramangala, Marathahalli, HSR Layout, and BTM Layout.

2. Hyderabad

Hyderabad, popularly known as ‘Cyberabad,’ has emerged as India’s second most important IT metropolis. It is the Indian headquarters of tech behemoths such as Microsoft and Google. It has achieved infrastructure advancements, fostering an atmosphere suitable to the expansion of IT enterprises. HITEC City, a complex with multiple IT parks, is also located in Hyderabad.

Hyderabad is well-known for its strong transport system and well-developed real estate industry, which is a big draw for IT businesses looking to establish a presence. The state government has developed a number of initiatives to help the IT industry grow, making it a desirable location for IT companies and workers.

3. Pune

Pune, popularly known as the “Oxford of the East,” has established itself as a major IT powerhouse in India. Pune is home to campuses for well-known IT firms such as Infosys, TCS, and Tech Mahindra. It has an excellent infrastructure and transit amenities, making it an appealing destination for IT experts. IT companies in Pune can be found at Hinjewadi, Magarpatta City, Kharadi, Hadapsar, Baner, Aundh, Viman Nagar, and Yerwada.

4. Chennai

Chennai is another city in India that has seen fast expansion in the IT industry. It is home to Tidel Park, one of Asia’s largest IT parks. Leading IT firms including as Cognizant, TCS, and Infosys have a presence here.

IT enterprises can be found in Taramani, Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR), Guindy Industrial Estate, DLF IT Park, Ambattur Industrial Estate, Siruseri IT Park, Perungudi, and Porur.

5. Mumbai

Mumbai isn’t just about banking; it’s also a magnet for IT jobs. The city’s lively culture and numerous prospects make it an appealing option.

6. NCR

The Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) includes the cities of Delhi, Gurgaon, and Noida. It provides a combination of government and commercial sector IT jobs.

7. Kochi

Kochi, often known as the ‘Queen of the Arabian Sea,’ is quickly becoming a popular IT location. It is home to Infopark, a 260-acre IT park filled with numerous multinational IT and ITeS enterprises. Its strategic position, infrastructure, and plenty of well-educated, tech-savvy workers have drawn investors from all over the world. Furthermore, the city’s cosmopolitan culture, high standard of living, and environs create an ideal living experience for IT professionals, paving the way for it to become India’s Silicon Valley.

Kochi has an IT presence in Infopark, Kalamassery, Palarivattom, Vazhakkala, Cheranalloor, and Edapally.

Bill generation is probably the most important activity within society accounting on a monthly basis. The accountants / managers generally have to invest a considerable amount of time due to the complexities involved in calculating values for all the houses within the society. The usual use case may include – 

• Area and rate based billing for maintenance
• Unit consumption based billing for utility (electricity and water)
• Slab based billing if the electricity provider dictates it
• GST exemption above Rs 7500 for maintenance
• Previous penalty inclusion within the bill and more
• E-Invoice generation for B2B house

While all of the above can easily be automated through Mygate, it is always better to recheck the item values post the invoices have been generated!

Until now, Mygate has been offering an invoice ‘Preview’ feature which helps the admin confirm the design, values and format of bills one house at a time.

This preview tool has always been super useful in improving the confidence level of the admin before billing. However, the limited nature of this option does not allow verification of invoice amounts in bulk for all houses.

To enhance the ERP experience and reduce the nervousness of our users, we have introduced a new invoicing flow in addition to the older one – ‘Generate (Publish Later)’.

Using this new method provides the admins with the following benefits:

• The bills get generated as usual, but DO NOT GET PUBLISHED TO THE RESIDENTS right away. This ensures that there is still a chance for review before people start making payments against their invoices.
• Given that the invoices get fully generated in the backend, the admin can safely use the following reports for a bulk verification – 
  • Bill excel download from Invoice History
  • Bill PDFs download from the Invoice History
  • Invoiced values along with house opening & closing from the MIS Report
  • Final due values of each house from the Dues Report
• If there is a correction needed to the new created bills, the admin can – 
  • Safely delete (reverse) the whole invoice batch before generating a fresh set. This is advisable if there are issues in a good number of bills
  • Pass credit notes if only a few houses have issues.

Once the admin is satisfied with the generated invoice batch, he can PUBLISH these bills to the residents from the familiar Invoice History page.

Ideally, both generation and publish operations should be completed by the society office within the same day. However, even if the admin forgets to trigger that latter, the system will publish the pending batches on their respective due dates (at 10pm).

*Other important points to note:

• Settlement from existing advance only triggers after the invoices have been published to the residents. This is not done before to ensure that the system does not have to delete extra entries if the whole batch is faulty.
• E-Invoice generation only triggers after the invoices have been published to the residents. The same reason as above applies here as well. Hence, you will be able to view the QR Codes on bill with IRN numbers only after the publish operation.
• Invoices cannot be sent to residents via Emails or SMS/Push Notifications until they are published.
• Residents will have a visibility of the unpublished invoice’s total amount in the app. This appears as a read-only figure under ‘Total Dues’ within the Society Dues module. Payment against this value is, however, not permitted!

The old invoice generation method has not been removed and will continue as it it under the name ‘Generate (Publish Now)’.

Any event celebrated on a large scale has negative environmental impacts since it produces a great deal of waste. Parties and gatherings generate a massive amount of waste from leftover food, single-use plastic bottles, cutlery, cups and plates, decorative material, and other rubbish. When dumped into landfills, this waste causes more stress on an already compromised urban waste management system. 

According to the Global Hunger Index, India wastes food worth Rs 244 crores per day; the number is likely to be much higher during events and festivals. India processes only 10% of its food waste while single-use plastic like wrappers and PET bottles contribute at least half towards the plastic processing industry which is projected to grow to 22 MT per year by 2020.

As bulk generators of waste, housing societies can be part of the solution by conducting zero-waste festivals and celebrations. They can plan their festivals and events with two considerations:

• Produce less waste by using eco-friendly products
• Dispose the waste responsibly by composting and recycling

Here’s how to make your society’s event a zero-waste one

Consider catering supplies

If you’re hiring a catering service, collaborate with them to use reusable serving supplies such as stainless steel/glass/ceramic cutlery and crockery. Eco-friendly, biodegradable supplies like  leaf plates are also an excellent option for societies who have already begun composting on-site.

Single-use plastic should be a complete no-no. This includes plastic cups, plates, spoons, PET bottles, food wrappers and packaging.

If it’s a DIY style event without catering, buy bulk grocery/food packets instead of small ones so that packaging waste is limited. You could also invite guests to bring their own cutlery or BYOE (Bring Your Own Everything including plates, napkins and bottles). Alternatively, you can rent reusable cutlery, plates and cups from a supplier in your city.

If biodegradable plates and cups are used, they should be responsibly composted on-site or segregated and handed to the waste collectors. But again, it’s going to add to the total amount of municipal waste. The idea should not be to reduce your society’s waste by giving it away to the government but to produce minimum waste to begin with. Any event that you may have should not be a burden on civic authorities or neighbourhood societies in terms of waste disposal.

Set up food waste stations

It’s important how you plan to process leftover food. This can be done by setting up food waste stations as close to the buffet table as possible because this is where most food waste is likely to be generated. Estimate the number of guests and set up at least two waste stations per 50 people. While setting up these stations, you have two options:

You can either instruct the guests themselves to dump the leftovers in a trash container and place the plates/cutlery at specially designated areas.

Or

You can ask them to leave their plates/cutlery at designated areas from where an appointed member of the housekeeping staff will segregate the waste and wash the utensils.

In either case, you’d have to place a volunteer to keep watch by the waste station to make sure that wet waste is being disposed of in an orderly fashion.

Place waste bins at regular intervals

Besides placing waste bins at food stations, you must place three colour-coded trash receptors at strategic places based on the number of guests. 

To make segregated disposal the responsibility of the guests:

• Label the green bin as ‘FOOD WASTE ONLY’
• Label the blue bin as ‘DRY WASTE ONLY’
• Label the red bin as ‘HAZARDOUS WASTE ONLY’. Only this bin will have non-chlorinated garbage bin liners.

This distinction will help the society to easily segregate waste. Even if you don’t serve food in single-use plastic plates, guests may bring in outside food and create other types of waste so it’s important to have bins for all kinds of waste. Guests should be instructed to dump food in the green bin first and throw the wrappers/containers in the blue bin placed next to it. Drinks should be disposed of separately and the TetraPaks can be thrown in the blue bins.

Any sharp objects like broken glass, metal scraps, broken cutlery, decorative items, broken tools, scissors, aerosol cans, disinfection kits, PPE supplies, etc., should be wrapped securely and thrown in the red bins.

Outsource waste management for your event

Some societies have also been hiring catering vendors who also handle waste disposal as a package service. Frankey Pereira, who is part of the Managing Committee of Green Acres Co-operative Housing Society, a 382-unit society in Thane, says, “We’ve begun segregating and composting on a daily basis in staggered phases. But we hire a vendor for our Annual Day. They charge around Rs 280 per plate but also serve in reusable crockery, and provide cleaning and waste disposal services, something we need until wet composting systems are fully adopted and functional throughout the society.”

Societies opting for vendors should check that the agency follows standard segregation compliance and has eco-friendly catering supplies. Apart from caterers, any waste collection agency should be selected after ensuring they are empanelled with the local municipal corporation.

Logistics of a large-scale gathering

It takes conscious planning to organize waste-free events for a housing society, but it’s entirely possible and manageable with certain ground rules.

Lakshmipraba U S, a Bangalore-based sustainability expert and proponent of green living for 9 years, says, “There are multiple rentable reusable cutlery banks across cities, run by passionate citizen initiatives.” She is herself the founder of RentACutlery in Bangalore, which has prevented over 2 lakh disposable supplies from ending up in landfills. In her 560-unit society, Lakshmipraba has been highly successful in executing zero-waste events for 1,500 guests who attended the Republic Day celebration.

“We did everything ourselves, including appointing home chefs who prepared food for 21 food stalls”, she says. Dishes were served in leaf plates with wooden spoons and drinks were served in bagasse tumblers. We placed big water canteens with tumblers across the venue and encouraged guests to bring their own water bottles. This measure prevented 800 PET bottles from being dumped in landfills. No tissues were provided and guests were instructed to bring handkerchiefs.

The leftovers were composted in-house, too. She explains, “We dug a pit near the trees and used crushed leaves for the base. Drums of food waste were piled one after another with more leaves in between. Around 300-350 kgs of food leftovers and cutlery were composted. We were left with only one drum of plastic waste at the end of the event on a 5-acre property.”

Expert tips for food waste management

• If you’re serving snacks, refrain from buying plastic packaged foods off the shelves like chips, biscuits, and cola. Instead, serve freshly-cooked food and juices/beverages in reusable crockery or earthen cups

• Instead of buying paper napkins, go for real napkins (preferably darker shades) so they can be washed and reused at the next event

• Instead of plastic water bottles, use large cans and jugs for serving water
• Let guests know in advance that they’re invited to a zero waste gathering/event. Place visible signs throughout the event venue so that guests can be led to the trash cans 

• Put up a board with penalty amounts for litterers

• Appoint volunteers to help guests segregate waste and also to keep an eye on litterers

Rules for entertainment

Follow this checklist for guidelines on waste generated from entertainment/ceremonial activities:

• Give gift vouchers, digital payments, or handmade gifts instead of store-bought products that involve packaging. Use newspapers or upcycled bags for wrapping gifts
• For ceremonies and birthday celebrations, don’t use confetti
• Select eco-friendly party favours that don’t need to be packaged or wrapped in plastic
• Don’t encourage fireworks or allow select fireworks that don’t produce too much residues
• Organize simple, physical games instead of art/craft-based activities that may generate waste
• If you’re hiring entertainment from outside, such as music bands, performers, clowns/magicians for children’s parties, make sure they’re well-instructed about waste disposal etiquette in advance.

Etiquette for guests

Send a short list of rules to guests along with the invite stating the following:

• No gift wrap allowed
• No outside food and drinks allowed
• Disposable items like balloons, use-and-throw party hats, goggles, etc. are not allowed
• Food is not to be wasted, so take portions as per requirement
• Maintain social distancing and mask rules
• PPEs should not be thrown anywhere inside the event premises

Event decoration and disposal

Don’t use plastic flowers, lanterns or other use-and-throw decorations. Make use of old glass jars, decorative hangings, reusable string lights, lanterns, chimes, centerpieces to beautify the venue. Housing societies with composting provisions can use real flowers.

To-do list for MC/RWA

• Send paper invites and envelopes or e-vites
• Ask the guests to RSVP so you can estimate the number of attendees and plan accordingly
• Train housekeeping staff/hired help in waste disposal etiquette
• Mandatorily follow 3-way waste segregation
• Arrange for a housekeeping team internally to collect all the waste at the end of the event and have it placed in segregated bins for waste agencies
• Have wet waste kept separately if you compost on-site

Waste-free festival hacks

• Replace large idols with smaller, eco-friendly ones free of chemical colours
• Use natural, plant-derived colours during Holi
• Avoid traditional fireworks or use eco-friendly Green Crackers.
• Exchange handmade, wrapper-free gifts/mementos/prizes for events
• Circulate zero waste rules for events in society group chats and social media. 
• Reuse flowers/petals/leaves used for festival decoration for mulching during gardening/composting
• Choose a real tree over a fake Christmas Tree

What does the law say about waste management at events?

In the matter of organizing events, the exact language according to the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, states:

“No person shall organize an event or gathering of more than 100 persons at any unlicensed place without intimating the local body, at least 3 working days in advance and such person or the organizer of such event shall ensure segregation of waste at source and handing over of segregated waste to waste collector or agency as specified by the local body.”

This can be understood as follows:

•  Waste segregation is mandatory whether the number of event attendees is more or less than 100.

• Societies with over 100 units, producing over 100 kgs of waste and with an area over 5000 sq mt, will have to compost their wet waste (including that generated by the event) on-site.

An event being organised in a public place (not inside the residential society) requires permission from local authorities. However, waste segregation according to Solid Waste Management Rules 2016 still applies to such events before handing over waste to the ULB.

Cautionary rules for societies organizing events during Covid-19

The Ministry of Home and Urban Affairs has issued Standard Operating Procedures on preventive measures to contain spread of COVID-19 during festivities. It talks about Sanitation and Hygiene in following words:

• Effective and frequent sanitation within the premises shall be maintained with particular focus on commonly touched surfaces/areas including lavatories, drinking and hand washing stations/areas.
• Cleaning and regular disinfection (using 1% sodium hypochlorite) of frequently touched surfaces (doorknobs, elevator buttons, handrails, queue barricades, seats, benches, washroom fixtures, etc.) to be made mandatory in all public utility common areas.
• Visitors and staff should be advised to dispose of used face covers / masks in covered bins available at the premises. The waste may be disposed of in accordance with the hazardous waste disposal guidelines.

In the wake of the pandemic, housing societies have been organizing small, low-key gatherings. Some have replaced buffet set-ups with boxed meals so that social distancing is maintained. As well-intentioned as that move is, it presents societies with the extra challenge of segregating food leftovers from the boxes, plus the waste from the disposable boxes. Buffet-style catering can still be followed with reusable cutlery while monitoring distancing measures and wearing masks and gloves. Sanitizers should be placed at entry/exit points and buffet tables so that they’re easily spotted.

Housing societies can appoint a separate waste management committee  along with volunteers to handle all aspects of event celebrations. Residents must join hands and overcome the initial resistance to celebrate eco-friendly festivals. Planet-friendly events turn into a labour of love and bring the community together when done right.

As dire as India’s waste management scenario seems, there is a tremendous opportunity for nation-wide execution of practical and scalable solutions to meet the challenges.

Municipal solid waste in India comprises more than 40-60% biodegradable waste, 30-50% inert waste and 10-30% recyclable waste. To put a positive spin on these figures, at least half of India’s waste can be disposed naturally, efficiently and collectively by waste generators like housing societies, institutions and businesses on-site.

Housing societies, being bulk waste generators, play a major role in helping the city manage its waste. With a few on-site composting solutions, or even by responsibly segregating their waste, they can greatly reduce the burden on urban waste management infrastructure.

Let’s dive deeper into the current waste management challenges faced by housing societies in general.

Challenge #1: No segregation at source

Waste collection in housing societies takes place mostly through the local government or its empanelled vendors. In most cities, the lack of segregation at individual household levels presents several major challenges:

• Government in unable to segregate and process 100% of the collected waste
• Segregation is done under unsafe and hazardous conditions, posing health hazards and injuries to waste collectors 
• Mixed waste is dumped in landfills
• Due to lack of infrastructure and poor enforcement of laws, waste piles up on the streets, in vacant sites and drains

All this begs the question,’why don’t societies segregate their waste?’

The main reasons are:

• Lack of awareness about segregation and waste management rules
• Habit of open dumping
• No strict rules that penalize non-segregation
• Availability of collectors who don’t refuse mixed waste

Tips for achieving 100% waste segregation

Select environmentally-conscious and responsible adults from the society or members of MC/RWA to form a waste management committee to conduct the following:

• Hold (virtual/physical) demonstrations in the society for residents, domestic help and housekeeping staff to understand and practice segregation
• Create awareness about the categories of household waste so that every home knows what items fall under dry, wet and hazardous waste.
• Form a support group online/ on WhatsApp to answer residents queries on waste
• Discourage non-segregation and reward residents who achieve 100% segregation

Challenge #2: Incorrect/inadequate segregation techniques

Even when residents have started to segregate waste at home, they don’t always follow the right procedure all the way to close the loop.

Wrong practices include:

1. Source segregation without source reduction

Residents simply segregate without minimising the amount of waste generated.

Solution: Practice the 4 Rs (refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle)

2. Hazardous waste is not sealed and labeled

Waste passes through multiple hands before final disposal. If domestic hazardous waste (diapers, sanitary napkins, glass shards, chemicals,etc.) is not labelled it ends up causing illness and injuries to waste collectors.

Solution: Wrap hazardous waste securely, double bag it with a label and seal it tightly.

3. Excessive use of garbage liners/bags

Dry and wet waste are separated in two garbage bags, doubling the volume of plastic waste.

Solution: Compost wet waste at home or cover it with newspaper before dumping. Dump the dry waste directly without garbage liners in the municipal waste collection truck.

4. Incorrect disposal of e-waste

Waste such as tube lights are carelessly disposed of, often mixed with other kinds of waste. Broken tube lights are a major source of mercury poisoning.

Solution: Hand over all e-waste separately to the collection agency. RWA can organise e-waste collection drives at regular intervals.

Challenge #3: Slow adoption of in-house composting

Three major obstacles stand in the way of individual/community composting:

1. The misconception that composting is smelly and attracts maggots and flies
2. Lack of interest and low enthusiasm
3. Budgetary constraints

What are the possible solutions?

Waste committee members should lead by example and start composting wet waste at home or at a smaller scale in a common area initially. Show small, incremental sprints towards successful composting to generate interest and participation gradually. Laws of collective behaviour suggest that if someone sees their neighbours doing something together, they’re compelled to join in to be socially included. Once enough momentum is gathered, the society can invest in larger community composting systems. For societies that need to compost on-site, vendor based composting solutions are an ideal first step.

Budget limitations concerning community composting can be addressed by starting low cost/DIY home composting solutions at first and scaling them up in the future.

Related reading: Everything you need to know about community composting and its benefits to housing societies

Challenge #4: Lack of monitoring in housing societies

This can be considered the most important factor that decides the success of your waste management practices. Societies are often found starting waste reduction, segregation and composting measures with enough involvement in the beginning but slowly lose interest and resort to old habits of mixing waste and producing more waste. 

Waste monitoring can be done in the following ways: 

• Appoint housekeeping teams to accompany waste collectors on random days of the week to ensure that every household is segregating waste as per rules. The findings/defaulters can be reported to the MC for further action
• Composting societies can also appoint volunteers, guards and housekeeping staff to make sure that no wet waste is being thrown into municipal waste in the absence of information and supervision.
• Repeat offenders must be given official warning and if non-compliance persists, they should be fined according to internal policies set by the MC/RWA.

Problems faced by the government with respect to housing societies

According to the former in-charge of BMC’s SWM Project, Pundalik Awate, “There are around 40,000 bulk generator societies identified in Mumbai, of which 10-20% are following all compliances while 20% have been notified to start following Solid Waste Management rules. Some societies avoid the mandate by claiming they don’t fall under the bulk generator classification, i.e. they produce less than 100 kg of waste. Some others are in the process of following the mandate.” There’s no clarity, however, on the 60% of societies who are possibly violating segregation and in-situ composting rules or are struggling to get the compliance measures off the ground.

The municipal corporation of Mumbai has already allowed the office-bearers of housing societies to fine their residents for non-segregation. The amount of penalty is fixed after getting the general consensus of all residents and is based on the size of the society and the number of repeat offences.

According to Kamlesh Singh of Swayam Swachatta Initiative Limited (SSIL), a government empanelled waste management agency for South Delhi, gated communities here have achieved 50-70% waste segregation. However, to bring it up to 100%, RWAs must be cooperative with agencies and think of waste management as their responsibility. Residents must not see waste management as an additional unwanted chore in their routine. “Bringing about a behavioural change is a slow and steady process”, he says.

“The penalty for not segregating waste is Rs. 200 for every default whereas RWAs can also be penalised Rs. 10,000 in a month if they fail to deal with waste in accordance with the Rules. But, waste can easily be deposited in the Auto-Tippers plying on the streets as they get stationed at ‘halt-points’. For this, there are no charges to be paid by the user. This is a street level collection service provided by SDMC/SSIL.”

Bangalore has been making steady strides towards solid waste management but not without its challenges. Nalini Shekhar, Co-founder and Executive Director of Hasiru Dala, a Bangalore-based social impact organization and waste collection agency says, “Apartments that have engaged with responsible service providers who insist on proper compliance, have a segregation level of 98%. There is 60-80% segregation in most wards, with high participation in solid waste management.”

She recounts the challenges of at-source segregation, “In Bangalore, the system is set for collection of dry and wet waste separately in 38 wards and now that needs scaling up. Dry waste is collected by waste-pickers / Self Help Groups but the dry waste processing infrastructure is too small for the level of collection we are doing. Since segregation is getting better, the decentralised infrastructure should catch up. Another major challenge is that the payment for service providers is never made on time, some dry waste collectors/waste-pickers have to wait for as long as 25 months!”

Key approaches for housing societies to manage waste better

• Consider waste management a civic duty, not a burden or a useless chore.
• Apply strict penalties for non-segregation within the society.
• Build awareness towards waste management by making it a priority, not an afterthought.
• Have a budget for segregation infrastructure like colour-coded bins and awareness generation material. Start collecting funds for composting in-house.
• Educate residents about correct classification of what is considered wet, dry and hazardous waste.
• Have residents experienced in home composting mentor others
• Conduct sessions on the importance of segregation through interactive measures, surveys, debates and other immersive activities.
• Have a society leaderboard for the most efficient waste segregating households and update it weekly/monthly. 
• Incentivise households that show positive improvement in segregation.
• Invite local/national sustainability experts and environmentalists to speak at your society and invite neighbourhood societies as well.

Story – MJR Pearl, Bangalore turns 200kgs of wet waste into 2 tons of compost monthly

As Nalini Shekhar says, “Responsible waste management costs money but housing societies should consider it as investment for the next generation.” Waste segregation and management have not been anyone’s priority, be it individuals, residential societies or the government, which is why the progress is slow and results are unimpressive and inconsistent nationwide.

There are, however, a number of waste warriors, impassioned citizens, self help groups, environmental NGOs and even progressive housing societies who have been slowly and gradually planting the seeds of sustainable change. The challenges of waste management may be complex and bewildering for housing societies, but they are certainly not insurmountable when all hands are on board.