We are delighted to announce that MyGate has been named Best Community Management Solution at Times Business Awards 2020. At a virtual summit held on October 6, Vijay Arisetty, our CEO & Co-founder, was felicitated by Padma Shri Shankar Mahadevan and award-winning actress Raveena Tandon. It’s an honour to have received this award and a great time for us to recall how our product has evolved over the past 12 months, enabling us to retain our strong leadership position.
Pioneering The Better Community Experience
In the past four years, MyGate has pioneered the vast majority of innovations in the community management space, and its solution is now in over 12,000 gated communities across the country, from major metros like Mumbai and Chennai to smaller areas like Nashik and Dehradun. The 2-million-plus residents of these communities now enjoy better security, as all visitors are validated at the gate, and a number of conveniences, from the ability to pay all society bills online to finding top-rated daily help via the app.
The utility of MyGate’s Community Management solution, though, has perhaps been most noticed since the introduction of lockdowns, as the company has built numerous partnerships and features to help its users better manage the COVID situation. ‘COVID Protect’ is a single platform for all COVID concerns where societies can find out how many flats are in quarantine, view the risk status of the residents using the Aarogya Setu app, check for facts and fake news with Newschecker, manage COVID emergencies with MyGate healthcare partners and much more. With these latest enhancements to the app, MyGate has made it easy for communities to get back on track.
Introducing the Data Privacy Gold Standard
The MyGate commitment to user security is comprehensive. And this means ensuring the privacy and security of user information, too. To strengthen our commitment in this regard, we enabled the data privacy gold standard, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) guidelines, in MyGate societies this June. This change enables all MyGate users to always retain full control over their personal information. Under the GDPR guidelines, visitors don’t have to share their phone number at the gate, visitor data is deleted from the systems after 180 days by default, residents can choose for their personal data to be deleted, residents also have access to the data log and all personal information is masked.
The MyGate team has worked tirelessly in making a product worth believing in. A big thank you to the MyGate team for making this happen, showing persistence and ingenuity even in these challenging times. We also thank Times Business Awards for hosting this event and recognizing us as the Best Community Management Solution.
Collecting the rental agreements, verifying the authenticity of the documents, and taking appropriate action against the defaulters is a cumbersome task. This is why thousands of gated communities use Mygate Tenant Management, a single repository to manage all tenant-related processes.
With Mygate Tenant Management, societies can manage their tenants better by adhering to local laws and regulations.
Here’s what society admins/owners can do…
- Get access to a centralized repository of all rental lease agreements on the API dashboard
- Upload a rental document against the flat
- Approve/reject rental agreements uploaded by tenants. Move In Move Out and Flat Signup documents will be auto-approved when the user approval request is approved
- Revoke Mygate access for all the residing users with no documents or invalid rental documents
- Filter and download reports of all the flats based on rental agreement status
- Unapproved/Approved/Rejected/Expired/No Documents
- View information around rental agreement expiry timelines
- Receive reminders to renew rental lease agreements to comply with the law
- These documents once uploaded can be viewed by the owners/tenant
Admins can reach out to their Relationship Manager to enable this feature for their society.
Here’s what tenants can do…
- Upload rental agreement/Photo ID during the flat sign up process. This can also be done from the “Documents section” by selecting “Flat” documents category
- Receive reminders to renew rental lease agreements to comply with the law
Resident App
- New tenants can upload documents during the move-in application/flat sign up process.
- Existing tenants already using the Mygate app can go to the ‘Documents’ section to upload the rental lease agreement and then click on ADD DOCUMENTS.
- Filter by the type ‘Flat’ to view all rental agreements captured during the sign up/moving in process
- Check the status of all uploaded documents
For any concerns, the Management Committee can reach out to their respective Mygate representatives and if you are a resident, please contact your Management Committee
Most of the cooking gas demands in Indian households are met by LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas, more commonly known as propane, butane) gas connections. India has become the second-largest LPG consumer in the world with 90% countrywide coverage.
The government now intends to spread the use of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) which has 50 lakh consumers as of 2019.
In this system, you get cooking gas delivered via pipelines straight to your home and pay for it exactly as you would pay your light bill. There is no cylinder involved. LPG is locally stored while natural gas is supplied from HVJ (Hazira-Vijaypur-Jagdishpur) pipelines of GAIL. Installation of PNG is based on technical and commercial feasibility, thus progress isn’t as fast as the simple on-demand pipeless LPG cylinder delivery system.
Smack in the middle of the cumbersome and traditional procedure of manual cylinder storage/ replacement and the modern luxury of domestic PNG lies the system of reticulated gas. It is installed by the builder at the development and planning stage and is inherited by housing societies for management and maintenance. Pipeline installation is sophisticated but limited to the residential/commercial premises and doesn’t need years of planning.
What is a reticulated or piped gas system?
It’s a centralized piped gas system (or ‘gas on tap’), which is a way to deliver cooking gas through a network of pipelines that are connected to the main gas cylinder storage system. Each kitchen has its own LPG cylinder, except it’s not tucked away under the kitchen countertop, but sits in a bulk storage area under the residential building or basement, along with its many compatriots.
How reticulated/piped gas system work?
High inlet gas pressure from the source is regulated and reduced to the level appropriate for the pipes and then delivered to the individual outlets in households. This is done by a pressure regulation system that consists of a cylinder manifold (for small to medium complexes) and underground/ above ground/mounded bulk LPG storage tanks (for huge apartment complexes).
Let’s understand a common three-stage pressure control system with an inlet pressure range of 1 bar to 6 bar and outlet pressure range of 110 millibars to 28 millibars.
- Cylinders with adaptors and pigtailed pipe are stacked against a wall and attached to the first pressure regulation system.
- The first pressure gauge is connected to the mainline which has the gas bank’s main controller and runs through a second pressure regulation system.
- The riser ball valve then takes the regulated gas up to individual apartments which have their own control valve, pressure regulator and a meter (usually at the kitchen entrance or outdoor pantry).
- A copper pipe connects the set-up to the kitchen and gas is provided via a tap.
- The cylinder manifold at the centralized bank consists of two arms – operational arm and a stand-by arm. Once the operational arm runs out there is an automatic changeover to ensure uninterrupted supply.
It’s the responsibility of the society MC to order cylinder refills, activate connections for individual homes and collect gas payment from the residents.
Features and benefits of the reticulated or piped gas system
- Overpressure and underpressure shut off valves to provide safety and proper burning at the stove
- 24/7 gas supply without the need for dragging, replacing cylinders or placing cylinder replacement orders
- No need to stash the cylinders in the house
- Individual prepaid/ postpaid meters which ensure transparency
- Economical benefit since you pay only as much as you use
- No need for interaction and transaction with gas agencies or delivery men
- No need to register with a gas agency or be subject to a waiting list for a gas cylinder connection
- Enhanced safety owing to the fact that gas pressure is low in pipeline compared to the volume packed in the cylinder at home
- Adds value to the society as it signifies the transition to an advanced gas distribution system
How to maintain a warehouse for a reticulated or piped gas system?
- Keep the cylinder storage facility locked at all times while displaying hazard (highly inflammable) signs around the fenced set-up. It’s important that no one is allowed to smoke or have fireworks near the gas bank enclosure.
- Don’t allow unauthorised access to residents, servicemen, etc.
- Ensure regularly that valves, gauges are at proper measurements so there’s no over/under pressure and backflow or leakages
- Always keep a good stock of fire extinguishers close to the set-up
- Make sure that gas bank facilities are properly ventilated
- Don’t install wired lighting or allow mobiles inside the gas bank
- Don’t allow children to play or pets to wander off around the gas bank
MC should arrange for thorough training to be given to designated resident/office manager/ head guard or committee member in the matters of technical specifications, safety measures and maintenance dos and don’ts along with refill order procedures so that there’s no confusion or mishaps that could affect the comfort and safety of residents.
Roads are a joyous thoroughfare, meeting points, and aesthetic assets for a society and its residents; the more maintained they are, the more they reflect the true status symbol of a housing society.
What causes road deterioration
The main factors that cause road deterioration are changes in climate, water gathering on the surface, fuel spills, vehicular load, traffic, weak subgrade, poor drainage, excessive heat and rainfall. The average lifespan of a quality road is 15-20 years and proper overlays periodically with preventive maintenance can add up to 10 years to the lifespan. Using good quality construction materials and experienced labour at the initial construction stage averts countless breakage and deformation problems in the long run.
Societies often neglect road maintenance thinking, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, an approach that leads to accumulation of minor cracks and breakages that gradually turn into monstrous and hazardous money guzzlers. Ill-maintained roads can cause collisions, inconvenience and dissatisfaction among residents, not to mention consistent damage to vehicles. Let’s deep dive into road maintenance and see what a society should do to keep their roads smooth and safe.
Types of road maintenance
1. Routine Maintenance
Routine or preventive maintenance is undertaken once/twice a year at a specific time (usually before and after the monsoon season) so those safe roads can get safer while neglected or broken roads can get repaired. It is the duty of the housing society to maintain its internal roads out of its own funds according to the model bye-laws.
Another variant of routine maintenance is known as reactive maintenance, which means it’s done to handle specific damage or problem which has already occurred.
2. Emergency Maintenance
Undertaken when an unexpected incident such as accident, fire or flooding causes severe damage that may be fatal to life and property.
Common types of distresses found in society roads and their solutions
1. Cracking
Road surfaces are made of concrete or asphalt. Over time, they develop cracks due to traffic, vehicles braking, skidding, excess load, natural heat from the sun, environmental impact, and also because of poor quality of construction materials and techniques. Common types of cracks are
- fatigue (alligator) cracking (caused due to overload over the thin pavement),
- transverse cracking (perpendicular cracks due to asphalt lessening),
- longitudinal cracking (formed parallel to the centreline),
- edge cracking (formed at the edge of the road and parking lot due to unsafe drains and weak construction),
- block cracking (huge block-shaped cracks).
A solution to road cracks:
Early distress identification is an essential preventive measure for cracks. During routine maintenance, get bonafide experts to gather data, analyse the extent of distress and suggest the type of preservation.
Treatments like crack filling, sealing, micro-surfacing, chip seal are recommended for transverse, multiple, longitudinal cracking. Block cracking can be fixed by a thin overlay.
Display speed and weight limit sign strategically to prevent overloading and speeding.
2. Waterlogging
After every monsoon season or heavy storms/tornadoes, societies often experience intense flooding and waterlogging, stormwater run-off in homes and basements, causing damage to society assets, electrical circuits, vehicles and roads. Urban waterlogging is common when the rainfall exceeds the internal and capacity of the drainage system causing excessively and uncontained run-off.
A solution to waterlogging on society roads
During preventive maintenance, ensure that all drains are inspected and cleared of debris, trash from channel crossing, and the roads are sloped to facilitate run-off. There should be no snags blocking water such as tree branches, food litter/ boxes, plastic bottles, wires, pipes in drain culverts, inlet and outlet structures. These measures will prevent potholes and edge cracking as well. Rainwater ditch maintenance should be included in routine care. Give strict instructions to cleaning crew on removing trash from gutters daily and impose fine on residents who litter the roads.
3. Ravelling
It is a disintegrated rough road surface which is filled with loose debris and dislodged material, caused due to loss of rocks/aggregates, dust coating, and dislodging caused by vehicles.
Solution
Ravelled portions can be removed and patched; more damaged areas should be removed and overlaid.
4. Road rutting
This is a permanent distortion that looks like the wheel path is deeply engraved on the road. It’s caused not only due to wear and tear but also because of not enough thickness in the pavement, improper pavement design, weak mixtures (asphalt, mineral, aggregate) and insufficient compaction of non-saturated materials. Rutting can cause hydroplaning and accidents.
Solution
Ruts need to be levelled and overlaid with precision. Grinding off the surface and resurfacing should be done.
5. Potholes
Cracks turn into potholes which are larger round-shaped depressions formed in the pavement/streets because when water seeps in, there occurs expansion in the day due to heat and contraction at night. This freeze-thaw cycle continues if unchecked and is worsened by continuous traffic, causing bigger potholes. It’s almost impossible to escape potholes in India (even inside a residential society) unless cracks are prevented and treated at the hairline stage.
Solution
As an emergency measure, cordon off areas around potholes to prevent further vehicular movement over them. Potholes can be drastically prevented by the use of self-healing asphalt containing steel wool fibre or using resin bound surfacing at the construction stage. However, an affordable method (a temporary solution) is to fill it up with a cold patch, run the shovel to even it out and run a truck tire over it. It’s called the throw and roll method. Other treatments are compacting the pothole with a vibratory roller or spray injecting it. Semi-permanent patching requires replacement of base material and hot mix asphalt fill.
Residents should be regularly informed about road safety and instructed to not speed, drive rashly, or engage in auto antics like freewheeling. Instruct everyone to keep an eye out for pavement damage or anomalies and report them to the MC immediately, even if the distress seems minor, it should be reported to prevent accidents and major repairs. It is MC’s responsibility to do a monthly inspection of roads, bumps and street signs to be aware of potential damage.
For the past 60 days, organizations around the country have struggled to find blood donors or conduct blood donation camps. As compared to 606 camps in January, just 138 were organized all through April, as per the Blood Bank Public Index. This has a major effect on patients suffering from severe illnesses, such as Thalassemia and cancer. For instance, there are over 100,000+ thalassemia patients in the country who are in need of a blood transfusion every 2 to 3 weeks.
The BloodConnect Foundation has reached out to help them find donors or even societies willing to host a blood donation camp. If you are interested in either, please inform us by filling up the form below and a representative of Blood Connect will get in touch with you.
Safe, Socially Distanced & Sanitised Blood Donation Camps Conducted During Lockdown
About BloodConnect
The BloodConnect Foundation was started in 2010 in IIT Delhi with the belief that the problem of blood shortage in India can be solved by the collective efforts of the youth. Over the past decade, they have reached out to 1 million+ people, organized more than 900 blood donation camps, collected 75000+ units, and helped save over 2 lakh lives in the process.
Safety During Blood Donation Camps
The safety of blood donors and professionals involved in blood transfusion is of utmost importance. All camps will follow the detailed guidance on blood transfusion during COVID-19 issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) for unhindered movement of blood collection mobile vans and blood donors (summarised in the poster above).
We want to first thank you for letting us be a part of your life and giving us an opportunity to serve your society and you. We understand that we are custodians of your information and we treat it with utmost confidentiality.
In the last few days, it has come to our attention that other companies who claim to have a similar product like MyGate are adopting unethical and unprofessional practices like:
- Entering the society stating that they are from MyGate. I recommend that you ask your security staff to check for ID from anyone claiming to be from MyGate before letting the person enter the premises.
- Misrepresenting MyGate’s capabilities, features and solutions. MyGate comprehensive suite of modules and features are listed here for your easy reference.
- Calling our clients and claiming that they got the number from MyGate. I assure you that we do not share the data with any third party. Please share the phone number, name and the company name of the person who states that they got your number from us at ceo@mygates.techletsolutions.com
Thank you for your continued support and trust in us.