They came. One at a time. One by one. And soon it was a deluge. Such was the excitement that the Community Centre of Dream Home Apartment (Sector 22), Dwarka, was packed to capacity on Saturday when team City Spidey landed there to introduce the friendly neighbourhood website and the app.
Heads of RWAs (Resident Welfare Association), CGHS (Cooperative Group Housing Society ), prominent local journos, NGO activists - residents who are passionate about Dwarka and its many issues - all came together at the venue with an eager ear for what was on offer. The audience was literally the who's who of Dwarka. Just sample these names: Sushil Kumar (President) Dwarka Forum, Sudha Sinha (General Secretary) Federation of CGHS, DP Vajpeyee (President), DLKM; TC Batra (Secretary), Dream Apt., Sector 23, Adv KS Bhati (President) FORWA, SS Mann (Vice president), and NGO activist Cicily Kudian.
Editor in Chief of City Spidey, S Srinivasan, soon took to the stage to introduce himself as well as this digital initiative. "This is about making it easier for residential governing bodies to manage the affairs of the society. This is about building a closely-knit community where every resident participates in the affairs of the housing society."
Soon Darain Shahidi, executive editor of City Spidey, took over to explain in detail how the various e-tools work. Starting from Notice Board where RWA administrators can make paperless announcements to the residents to directory services, he went on to talk to a rapt audience about Spidey Buzz - the media vehicle for all hyperlocal news.
At the end of the session, questions were asked and feedback given over tea. "Are you going to be biased? I hope you follow no particular groups," someone from the audience said. Another one, a senior citizen, asked if City Spidey team would provide individual help in downloading and operating the app.
Going by the buzz at the community centre, it is evident that residents were all in for City Spidey, promising all support. "This is the need of the hour," said Sudha Sinha (General Secretary) Federation of CGHS. "Dwarka needed something like this," said NGO activist Cicily Kudian.
No wonder, the only question that was on everybody's lips: Just when would City Spidey mark its formal launch in Dwarka?
