Random shots @ Mantri,OMR

Some photos I took at random on a walk around Mantri complex.

Sunrise.Yes,that's an airplane, junked, parked at the backyard of Hindustan University.

A clutter of commodes at the basement parking lot.

Another shot of the parking lot,with a leaky patch.

Paver-blocks cover all available open space. Mantri project people and landscape architect, Mr Sekar James, have ignored our repeated plea to allocate space for Mantri residents community planting programme.

What is worse,they wouldn't even leave breathing space - a foot or two unpaved - around these coconut trees. Such is Mantri's drive to convert open space into car park slots for sale.

Ramp to the grocery store could have been a foot wider, for easy movement of shopping cart. The turn at the bottom of the ramp sharp and too narrow.

We know Mantri project people would clean up this mess before they leave. But they appear to be taking their time, with no one to ask questions.

This lot across the road isn't Mantri's making. It is a contributory effort, and a public garbage dump in the making. Children's school bus halt at here to pick up students in the morning.
We need the Ugly Indian to address the issue.
Listen in to this 5-min. BBC radio interview with an Ugly Indian.

Ramp at Mantri's shop

I wish they make it a bit wider, for easy movement of shopping carts. And one hopes the Mantri project team answers our plea. For it is relatively easier now, to widen its width while the ramp is still under construction.
Anyway, it is nice to see some work in progress regarding the ramp at our clubhouse stores. We first raised the need for such a ramp in May last to facilitate those of us with knee trouble who have problem negotiating a staircase. A ramp would help people such as my mother, who at 93 uses a walker.She can't visit the clubhouse shop now.
Besides, a ramp would enable us to take shopping cart right up to our apartments, instead of relying on the shop assistant for home delivery. All that storekeeper needs to do is depute someone to retrieve shopping carts from apartment towers.

Still pending: Shopfront ramp

After relocating the children's play area,we hope, the Mantri project team would focus on building a ramp to the shopfront; and also hope they get this done by the time the clubhouse grocery store opens - mid-November, they say. What I heard is that the plan is to replace existing steps with a ramp, instead of building one, to run along with the steps.
The move follows a post in this blog. Our point was a shopfront without the ramp keeps out shoppers with disability. Those using a walker or wheel-chair would have to rely on others to do the shopping for them. Besides, a ramp is needed for wheeling shopping carts in and out of the grocery store.

The vacant space in front of the store can be fitted with garden tables and benches and and trees for providing shade for shoppers who choose to have a bite or ice-cream after shopping.
Plea to PropCare: Can we persuade the retailer to plant a couple of shade-giving trees on this space to mark the inauguration of the clubhouse store ?

A case for clubhouse ramp

My visiting sister(we call her Baby,though she is 60 plus) has the gait of a penguin,because of knee trouble and associated complications.She found the walk from bus stand (Hindustan University) to our D Block residence way too long for her comfort. Climbing steps is problem.
Baby had not seen the inside of a gym till I took her to our clubhouse gym.She liked what she say, and expressed her desire to visit the gym regularly as along as she stays with us. I am sure we would have the likes of my sister, who would take to the gym if only they can make it there without a hassle.The clubhouse has a lift, but the project architects haven't put a ramp at the entrance. Now they say a ramp would cut into the service road, which needs to be of a specified width prescribed by the fire dept. The physically disabled wanting to use the clubhouse would have to take a lift from the basement, they say.

Mantri's children's corner - 2

Our plea for a re-think on location of the children's play area in front of the clubhouse stores has apparently had no impact on the Mantri project team.
They have added another play unit in an area that is already pretty cramped. Besides,the play area, in its present location, appears to be coming up mainly for the benefit of children accompanying their parents to the grocery store. Which may help the store sale. If the play area has to address the needs of all children in the community, Mantri's would do well to re-locate it.
One other thing. With the children's corner taking up so much space in front of the stores, one wonders how they can fit in a ramp at the store entrance. See earlier post - Need a ramp to the store entrance.

Need a ramp to shop entrance

Mantri Synergy builders who have provided ramps at the entrance to residential blocks haven't done it for the departmental store in the Clubhouse. I can't see my mother (90 plus and using a walker) doing shopping at Mantris.
A ramp at the shop entrance would also be needed for movement of shopping carts. Whoever sets up shop at the Clubhouse should arrange for shopping carts to facilitate resident-shoppers to carry their buys right up to the lift-bay of their residential block. Shop-owner or PropCare can deploy a person to wheel back to the Clubhouse the shopping carts left by residents at various blocks.