Mayuresh Park Co-operative Housing Society, a cozy society in Thane, Maharashtra, is now “Live” on ApnaComplex. Mr. Shailendra Gawas, committee member of Mayuresh Park Co-operative Housing Society Ltd., wrote to us on the occassion of going live:
Apnacomplex provides transparency in Apartment Owner Association
“We at Mayuresh Park Committee were looking for centralized and cost effective software as service based solution to manage our society. After evaluating ApnaComplex for one month, we found that the application really helping us a lot to manage almost all our requirements effieciently and in productive manner. Managing Invoices, Payments, Expenditure, MOM’s etc. has made our committee members life easy. Also it brings trasperency to the operations due to which I hope all our resident members will be happy.”
Thank you Mr. Shailenra and we hope to make a difference in lives of your society members!
The monsoon is a great time to make new additions to your garden. You have to plan ahead for this season so that your garden thrives for the whole year.
Preparing Your Garden
The rainy season is an excellent time to grow new plants, but excess water can prove to be too much of a good thing. Make sure that young plants and plants that are too fragile to withstand the onslaught of a storm are well sheltered.
Trim your trees and plants before the rain starts. This ensures that enough air and sunshine gets through to every part of the tree and also to any plants that are growing in their shade. Clear your garden and ensure that water does not stagnate anywhere. Excess water that collects and stagnates can cause the plants to rot and die. If you are putting in new plants, choose those plants that can withstand the moisture of the season. Prepare the ground around new plants so that the excess water drains away.
Make sure that the pits around your plants are shallow during this season. Stagnant water not only serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes, it can also result in root-rot. Spread mulch around your plants. The rain water that soaks through this will bring in additional nutrients for your garden.
Earthworms are good for your garden, so if you find them concentrated in a single place, pick them up and spread them around. They dig deep into the earth and nitrate the soil.
Getting Rid of Weeds and Pests
Remember, if the select plants of your choice can thrive in this season, so can weeds. Pull them out and ensure that they don’t grow back again during this season. Otherwise they could spread fast and choke up your garden.
Grasshoppers and other insects that can attack your plants also thrive during the monsoon season. Take preventive measures to keep them out and address the issue at once if you see any signs of pests in your garden. Frogs, toads and birds are excellent natural pest control options. Encourage them, if you have the space, with small ponds and bird-baths.
If you have to use pesticides, try to go in for the safe and organic options. They might cost more initially, but they can pay back a lot in terms of good health besides being better ecologically.
Watch out for plant mildew, a white powdery substance that can shrivel up leaves and stems, which affects photosynthesis. Get rid of it if you spot it. Constant dampness in the stems and leaves serves an invitation to this disease. Do not water plants from the top during monsoons. Mix a tablespoon of baking soda and some liquid soap in a gallon of water and spray it on susceptible plants. This is a preventive measure; it will not be of much use once the plants are affected.
Take Advantage of the Rains
Move indoor plants outside but ensure that delicate plants are not exposed directly to the rains. Keep these in a sheltered area or under the shades of trees.
Harvest rain water. If you don’t have collecting tanks, at least channel the rain water so that it flows through your garden. Do not allow the rain water to drain away on the streets. Preferably, excess water should be allowed to drain away into the earth so that it can return to the water table.
Take advantage of the rains to grow your garden. You will need to plan well and take measures to control pests and diseases. If you plan your monsoon gardening well, your garden will sport a rich look for the entire year with home-grown fruits and vegetables and beautiful flowers.
Get your Society on ApnaComplex – Today! ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive web based housing society accounting, management and communication software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society. Check out the features of ApnaComplex and sign up your society today to get the benefits! We offer a free 30-day trial as well so that you can try before you buy!
Housing society buildings are specifically designed and constructed to withstand the thundering downpours of the monsoon and the issues that come along with the season. While most major issues like the stability of the building will be taken care of, residents and members of the maintenance team will need to solve the minor issues like cracks and fissures on the roof, and problems related to moss and rust.
The Rust Factor
The building structure will normally comprise of bricks, steel and cement, and varied seasons can bring about varied changes. Metal parts in a housing society’s infrastructure tend to shrink, expand or rust, depending on the season. During the monsoon, while the wooden parts of doors and windows may expand, the hinges tend to become rusty. Metal structures like swings and see saws in the play area and gates will rust over time as well, making it harder to use these.
Rust is dangerous because when a metal structure is affected by rust, it disintegrates and loses stability. The metal may give way beyond a point of time, resulting in monetary losses and physical injuries.
Steps must be taken to identify and solve the problem time and again, as rusty parts can hurt you when you’re caught unawares.
How to Prevent Rust
Painting your windows and doors with protective coatings like varnishes or other paints can help in preventing rusting. Using a water-proof paint can prevent the iron bars in your windows from rusting. Although painting the metal parts in common areas can be quite hard for you to do, you can talk to the maintenance team and get it done.
Greasing the hinges in your doors and windows helps in avoiding the problem. Ensure that you grease or oil the other metal items in your household throughout the year so that they don’t rust over time.
Getting Rid of Rust
Rust spots from metals can be easily removed by using an ink eraser.
If you find rust stains in your sink, tub or toilet, it generally points towards high iron content. While household scrubbing powders can only help in removing food stains, you will have to use a chemical solution to remove rust stains. Soap cleaners that are widely available help in this regard too.
Rust stains on your granite flooring can be removed by mixing rust removal solutions along with powdered whiting. This can be procured from any paint dealer or hardware shop. If there are stubborn stains, use the solution well and leave it on for a few hours without washing it away. You can also remove rust stains from steel utensils, cutlery and spoons in a similar fashion.
Rust stains in carpets can be hard to remove, and lime juice will help in removing these. You can use blotting paper to wipe the stains out. Keep repeating the process till the stains are removed entirely. Rinsing the carpet and then blot drying is also a good way to deal with rust. A professional carpet cleaning company will help you eliminate really stubborn stains.
Get your Society on ApnaComplex – Today! ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive web based housing society accounting, management and communication software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society. Check out the features of ApnaComplex and sign up your society today to get the benefits! We offer a free 30-day trial as well so that you can try before you buy!
Festivals in a housing society are celebrated with undiluted enthusiasm, as India is a country that’s known for its festivals and varied culture, and people from different communities live inside a residential complex in every housing society.
Although Ganesh Chaturthi festivities might seem enticing and fun, celebrations that are conducted during this major festival harm the environment in one way or the other. Every housing society should follow eco friendly and green practices in order to ensure that people don’t destroy nature in an attempt to celebrate their culture.
People living in a housing society can follow a few pointers through which they can celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi in a pleasant yet eco-friendly manner.
Why Choose Clay Idols Over Plastic Idols?
Idol immersion is a common scene during Ganesh Chaturthi, where the idol of Lord Ganesh is finally immersed into the sea or any other water body following the end of the festival. This adversely affects the marine life at sea. This effect is due to the fact that the Ganesh idols that people purchase are often made of Plaster of Paris.
This toxic substance, when dumped into the ocean is consumed by aquatic creatures, leading to their death. In order to completely avoid this problem, ensure that you buy an idol which is made of clay or mud as it does not harm the marine ecosystem.
You can do your bit and spread some awareness among the residents of your flat about the environmental advantages of using clay idols over plastic ones. Although it would not be realistic on your part to expect everyone to change their preferences immediately, all you need to do is start off the initial spark. You can talk to the apartment association regarding this.
Innovative Eco-Friendly Idols You Can Try
Apart from the regular clay and mud models, environmental groups are coming up with various solutions to reduce the adverse effects that massive idol disposal causes. A community called Sadguru Shri Aniruddha Upasana Trust came up with the concept of biodegradable Ganeshs.
These idols are made from paper from the trust’s Ramnaam notebooks. The paper is packed in casts in order to mold the material and give it a definite shape. The idol is allowed to dry for a period of two days and then painted with non-toxic colors.
These idols are easy to make and cause no harmful effects towards the environment. You can urge your housing society neighbors to buy these eco-friendly alternatives. A housing society can also buy a single large idol of the lord for the entire locality in order to reduce the disposal of numerous idols in the sea.
The Need for Artificial Lakes and Collective Dumping
In a housing society, the management can collectively make a decision to dig up a ditch and fill it with water so that idol immersion can be done in such a place, reducing the overall contamination. If an artificial ditch like this is created in every housing society, the levels of pollution will fall drastically and even traffic congestion on the roads can be avoided.
There are many small steps like these that members in a housing society can take in order to make their community a better place to live in.
Get your Society on ApnaComplex – Today! ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive web based housing society accounting, management and communication software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society. Check out the features of ApnaComplex and sign up your society today to get the benefits! We offer a free 30-day trial as well so that you can try before you buy!
Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations are held in every housing society annually in order to honour the birth of Lord Ganesh. This festival encompasses a variety of cultural events that have deep rooted religious meanings, which bring people together and enhance their sense of oneness.
You can make arrangements to celebrate the festival in your housing society, in order to bring together all residents. This can take an immense amount of time and effort since celebrations for Ganesh Chaturthi are very elaborate and done on a grand scale.
Ensure that you bring up the idea during a resident meeting so that you can get help from all other residents in the housing society too.
While being an amazing spectacle to witness, Ganesh Chaturthi can be both environmentally degrading and very cost ineffective. The housing society management can take the initiative to implement some of the below tips while celebrating this festival.
Provide Localized Immersion Spots
Instead of having scores of people from the housing society immersing idols all over the city and in a variety of water bodies, the housing society management can organize a local area where the residents can collectively gather, celebrate and finish off the festivities in an environmentally friendly manner.
The management can dig a ditch and create a central temporary water body that can be used for this purpose.
Arrange for the Main Idol
Housing societies usually arrange for huge idols of Lord Ganesh, and this forms an extremely vital part of the celebration. The idol can be placed in a central location so that it is easily accessible to all residents within the society.
Clay idols score over plastic ones because they’re a lot more cost efficient. Clay dissolves in water and this material is more eco-friendly as remnants from the celebration don’t stay in the water for long enough to significantly damage the aquatic ecosystem.
The housing society management must also strive to ensure that every family limits itself by having only one idol for immersion.
Whip Up Homemade Sweets
You can take some initiative and encourage all families to make sweets at home. You can do this during the resident meetings. This will not only help them save on money and resources, but also ensures less wastage.
Such sweets are healthier and also bring the housing society residents closer during the festival. Sweets can be exchanged during the main puja that is conducted near the large idol.
Create Awareness About the Festival
Most modern children aren’t completely aware of the significance of Ganesh Chaturthi or about the various rituals that are performed. Through the management, you can hire knowledgeable speakers to talk about the festival or drama groups who can enact various mythological events related to the festival.
Celebrating such an important festival in a common stage can be a fun experience for everyone, especially the children. Once you delegate all the necessary tasks to specific members through the housing society management, you can enjoy a splendid Ganesh Chaturthi with your family and the entire community.
Get your Society on ApnaComplex – Today! ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive web based housing society accounting, management and communication software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society. Check out the features of ApnaComplex and sign up your society today to get the benefits! We offer a free 30-day trail as well so that you can try before you buy!
With the joyous festival of Ganesh Chaturthi right around the corner, housing society residents would have started making arrangements for the celebration of this auspicious festival, which is greeted with much grandeur. Although this festival will be celebrated individually in all houses, arrangements can be made in a housing society to organize a major event centered on the festival.
One of the major tasks involved in planning out this festival is selecting the perfect idol of Lord Ganesh. The residents in a housing society can select a huge idol in order to offer their prayers together as a community, other than the small ones they buy personally.
Here are some simple pointers which housing society residents must keep in mind while selecting an idol.
Book the Idol in Advance
It isn’t an easy task to shop for idols just a day or two before Ganesh Chaturthi. Booking an idol before hand is extremely important. Most people tend to book their idols on the day of Janmashtami as a reminder or at least 10-15 days before the festival, so ensure that you book your idol way in advance. Did not book it yet? Never mind – its never too late for a good thing. Read the rest of the article and book the idol right away!
Buy Only Clay or Mud Idols
The housing society management must ensure that the idols that their residents buy are made up of biodegradable clay, which easily dissolves when immersed into the sea.
More often than not, Plaster of Paris and other toxic chemicals are used to make the idols, which can have adverse effects on the marine ecosystem. In order to maintain a green housing society, this rule must be enforced.
Choose the Right Size
Ganesh idols are available in an array of sizes and this makes it difficult to choose the ideal one. Since the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations held at a housing society would normally cater to a large number of people, it would be practical to choose an idol which is approximately 10-15 feet high.
Smaller idols can be chosen for personal purposes in every home. The main idol should be properly transported into the housing society, though, without any damages.
Choose a Seated Idol
This is an extremely important tip that the management should note while choosing a Ganesh idol. When a standing idol is installed in a particular place over a period of 10 days, there is a high chance that cracking may occur due to the heavy weight borne. For this reason, it’s more practical to choose a seated idol.
Opt for Natural Colors
For environmental reasons, the housing society management should opt for and promote Ganesh idols that are not painted with toxic paints and dyes. Instead, natural coloring substances such as turmeric and vermillion can be used to give the idol some color.
Purchase the Decorative Items
The housing society management must remember to purchase decoration material for the idol in advance. In order to save money, the decorations can be purchased from a wholesaler. It is important to purchase the material only after buying the idol, as the size plays a vital role.
Ideally, the materials should be purchased a week before Ganesh Chaturthi. Plastic decorative items should be strictly avoided for use during the celebrations. Instead, cloth, paper and wood items can be used as alternatives in order to avoid environmental hazards during the immersion of the idol.
These are some simple yet vital pointers which housing society residents should keep in mind while selecting an idol for the vibrant festival of Ganesh Chaturthi. These tips will help the management ensure that all residents enjoy the festivities to the fullest, while setting an example of being environmentally conscious citizens.
Get your Society on ApnaComplex – Today! ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive web based housing society accounting, management and communication software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society. Check out the features of ApnaComplex and sign up your society today to get the benefits! We offer a free 30-day trial as well so that you can try before you buy!
Growing plants in and around your house can be very beneficial; however, there are certain plants that you should avoid growing indoors in your apartment. Plants and shrubs provide a variety of benefits as they add on to household décor and purify the air – but not all of them are suited for indoor gardening.
You should take proper care while selecting the plants for your indoor garden of your apartment and should also garner enough knowledge about the characteristics of the chosen plants.
The Basic Factors
You should choose a plant that falls within your budget and doesn’t require more time and care than you can afford. With kids, patients and elderly people around, you should also be well aware of the harmful effects that certain indoor plants can have in order avoid any unwanted complications like:
Asthma
Allergy
Rashes or scratches
Poisoning
Plants You Should Avoid
Generally avoid growing plants of the below given categories.
Plants that are infested and act as hubs for pests
Plants that possess unhealthy foliage, that is, foliage with undersides that show signs of infections or diseases
Plants which have spots or blotches, wilted foliage, brown leaf margins or yellow leaves
Plants whose leaves are either torn or treated with certain agents that provide an artificial polish
Plants whose light energy requirements are more than what you can provide in an indoor environment
Weak plants which do not have any leaf buds or new flower with some young plant growth
Plants which do not have the capability to acclimatize, adapt and survive in the indoor conditions or your home setting
Plants That Spread Pollen
People suffering from asthma must avoid growing plants or trees which produce lot of pollen. Given below are a few plants and trees that you should avoid growing in your indoor garden or community garden if you are asthmatic or stay with a person who’s allergic to pollen.
Ash
Amaranthus
Birch
Beech
Crocus
Cypress
Coneflower
Elderberry
Juniper
Oak
Poppy
Privet
Peony
Plants That Are Potentially Poisonous
Plants that you should avoid growingin your indoor garden, in order to prevent poisoning, have been given below:
Azalea (Rhododendron)
Monkshood (Aconitum)
Bleeding heart (Dicentra)
Black locust (Robiniapseudoacacia)
Yew (Taxuscuspidate)
Cherry (Prunus)
Castor bean (Ricinuscommunis)
Elderberry (Sambucuscanadensis)
Lily-of-the-valley (Convallariamajalis)
Wisteria
Foxglove (Digitalispurpurea)
Oleander (Neriumoleander)
Larkspur (Delphinium)
Jimsonweed (Datura)
Lantana (Lantanacamara)
Other Plants to Avoid
There are certain plants which can cause illness on consumption. Although adults might be prudent enough to stay away from these, kids might surrender to curiosity and succumb to poisoning or illness by eating parts of these plants.
Wisteria
Cotoneaster Berries
Rhubarb
Rhododendron
Honeysuckle
Delphinium
Bluebells
Fuchsia
Snowdrop
Pyracantha Berries
Mistletoe
Laburnum
Privet
Lupin
Holly (berries and leaves)
Growing plants in apartment complexes has grown as a hobby; and you should pursue it only after gaining complete knowledge about the pros and cons involved with the activity. It is essential for you to be educated about the dangerous effects caused by some plants and the different ways in which you can tackle those effects.
Get your Society on ApnaComplex – Today!
ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive web based housing society accounting, management and communication software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society. Check out the features of ApnaComplex and sign up your society today to get the benefits! We offer a free 30-day trial as well so that you can try before you buy!
We welcome the owners and residents of Dream Meadows, a beautiful private layout consisting of 246 plots in the Brookefields area of Bangalore to the ApnaComplex family.
What is most pleasing for us is that managing committee of Dream Meadows did very thorough evaluation of various softwares and finalized ApnaComplex.
Mr. Sivaram, Treasurer of Dream Meadows Owners Association, wrote to us on the occassion of going live and has following to say about ApnaComplex:
“Thank you very much for your support in Dream Meadows going live on ApnaComplex in less than 3 weeks. The three best things that we have found with ApnaComplex are:
Pricing : Is reasonable for the features provided compared to other counterparts.
Service : Is marvelous and with very low response time.
Features: Rich and impressive set of features.
We could go live in less than 3 weeks and your support in achieving this is FANTASTIC.
Thanks for taking the feedback on the existing functionality and your readiness to implement the same in to the Application.
Thank You ApnaComplex Team for the great support we received from you to help us go live and will definitely recommend your services to my known contatcts.
Hoping to have to have the same kind of support in future too!!!!”
People assume that maintaining a vegetable garden in the city is something that’s unthinkable, but if you stay in a apartment flat with a balcony or a veranda, you can build a small vegetable garden of your own. Although this might seem like a difficult proposition, it can be achieved with minimal effort and good planning.
There are a number of factors that will play an important role when you try and start your own vegetable garden, including:
The type of containers you use
The vegetables that you’re planning to grow
The space available for growing these vegetables
Choosing the Right Vegetables
With a little creativity and research, you can set up a fresh herb and vegetable garden with simple vegetables like tomatoes, radishes, cucumbers and eggplants. Also, you can consider growing herbs like curry leaf, mint and coriander plants. Although potatoes and onions are also easy to grow, the space available in a housing society flat will not be enough for these plants.
Choosing the Right Containers
Choosing the right container for growing vegetables is essential. Small containers are sufficient for growing plants like chilly or curry leaf. Capsicum and cucumber plants may require more space and you will have to buy bigger pots for these. Window boxes can be purchased as they are convenient and they also look attractive.
You can go earthen by purchasing terracotta or stone pots. The only disadvantage of using these pots is that moving or shifting them may be difficult as they can be quite bulky and heavy.
Wooden pots for growing vegetables may look aesthetic but they’ll emit a foul smell after continued use, so it’s better to avoid these. Always place plastic saucers beneath the pots so that excessive water does not spill out.
The Guide to Growing Vegetables
Tomato seeds or bitter gourd seeds can be purchased and sown in the container. The soil that is used for growing vegetables should be clean, free of pollutants and moisture retaining. Compost can be added to the soil for increasing its fertility and organic kitchen waste can also be added to the soil.
Plants require moisture, and for this reason, watering your vegetable garden regularly is important. Excessive watering may lead your plants to rot, so you need to pour the right quantity of water every single time.
Organic fertilisers should be your preferred choice when compared to chemical ones. If you are planting tomatoes, then try and grow a garlic plant close by so that insects and pests can be kept at bay. This method of ‘companion gardening’ will help in giving you better produce.
Seasonal vegetables need to be sown during the months of April, May and June as this is the ideal season for planting. Over exposure to sunlight may hamper the growth of your plants, so make sure that you don’t place them directly under sunlight in your balcony. Choosing high quality seeds will ensure that your plants grow more quickly and the vegetables that you get will be fresh.
Ensure that you read up on proper watering techniques and what each plant uniquely requires so that you don’t face too many issues when you set up an indoor vegetable garden.
Get your Society on ApnaComplex – Today! ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive web based housing society accounting, management and communication software. It is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society. Check out the features of ApnaComplex and sign up your society today to get the benefits! We offer a free 30-day trial as well so that you can try before you buy!
Here’s some good news for all Cricket lovers in Bangalore! Announcing an exclusive Cricket Tournament for Gated Communities and Organizations in Bangalore!
As part of the Community Development Program, Treamis World School (http://www.treamis.org) is conducting an Inter Apartment/Corporate Cricket Tournament called Treamis Premiere League (TPL). TPL is being sponsored by ApnaComplex.com (http://www.apnacomplex.com) – the most comprehensive software for Housing Society Management and Accounting.
Who can participate?
Open to individuals living in apartment complexes and layouts and employees of organizations in Bangalore who can participate as a team representing their apartments, layouts or organizations. We are inviting the residents of your community/ apartment/ company to participate in the event.
How can you participate?
Register a team from your Apartment/Company
There should be a minimum of 11 members in your team.
The team member’s age should be over 25. In extreme cases where the apartment has short few players, we allow players below 25. However, no player can be below 18.
All members of the team should be residents of the same apartment or members of the same association or employees of the same organization.
While we encourage teams to sign up, we also offer individual registration. If an individual signs up, we will place him/her with other individuals that sign up to form a team.
What else is there?
Family members can accompany players for support and cheering up. They will not be bored. There will be games fair for family members.
Last Day of Team Registration
Last date of registering your team is 27th August 2011. We are expecting approximately 12 to 14 teams in this tournament. Teams will be registered on first come first serve basis. So, hurry up! Send your team details along with apartment / layout /company name to the contacts mentioned below.
What is the schedule of this tournament?
Detailed schedule will be published once we close the team registrations!
I have few more questions, whom do I ask?
For more information and to register your teams, contact
Priya Raghavan – priya.r at apnacomplex dot com +91-880886-11229 (Sales & Marketing – ApnaComplex) OR Swati Prabhu – swati.prabhu at treamis dot org + (Public Relations – Treamis World School)
So, what are you waiting for? Register NOW and importantly, start practicing!
Treamis community development is a program initiated by Treamis World School to promote unity, peace and harmony in and around Electronic City community. Treamis is committed to developing a community that residents can be proud of, a community that will keep the residents happy and healthy through shared events and celebrations.
ApnaComplex is India’s most comprehensive Apartment / Housing Society Management & Accounting Software. ApnaComplex is designed to make the life of residents and owners a lot better by bringing in more transparency and accountability in managing a housing society.
