Beyond the Balcony

In congested societies, the well-being of children, elders, and women must be treated as a core civic priority. Children need safe routes to school, clean air, and accessible play areas. Elders deserve mobility, healthcare, and social inclusion - not isolation in vertical silos. Women face daily risks that demand more than token gestures; true safety requires better lighting, surveillance, responsive policing, and cultural shifts rooted in homes, schools, and workplaces

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The rapid urbanisation of India has ushered in a new era of residential living, marked by the proliferation of housing societies built by government agencies, private developers, and cooperative institutions.

This shift from independent homes to multi-storey flats was driven by a combination of necessity and aspiration ~ security concerns, shrinking land availability, and the promise of modern amenities, enabling millions to access affordable housing in limited space.

These housing societies do not just offer shelter; they foster relationships, encourage civic participation, and provide platforms for mutual adjustment. Children grow up in shared courtyards, elders find companionship, and festivals are celebrated collectively. The Resident Welfare Association (RWA), in theory, becomes a micro-democracy ~ where decisions are made collaboratively, and civic life is nurtured. In a country as diverse as India, these societies have the potential to be crucibles of harmony and resilience.

Yet beneath this promise lies a troubling reality. Cost-cutting measures, disregard for building laws, and overwhelming demand have contributed to unsafe practices, poor infrastructure, and substandard maintenance across countless residential societies. The consequences are not merely inconvenient - they are dangerous, dehumanising, and emblematic of a deeper civic malaise.

Many societies, particularly those built in earlier phases of urban expansion, lack even the most basic amenities. Lifts are absent in multi-storey buildings, staircases are narrow and slippery, and room sizes have shrunk to the point of congestion. Club houses and indoor recreational facilities are either nonexistent or lie in disrepair. Fire safety systems are inadequate or entirely missing, and periodic checks of electrical wiring, grounding, and load distribution are rarely undertaken.