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AHMEDABAD, India, March 6 (AFP) - During the day Bhavin Vadgama works as a finance manager with an architectural firm and at night stands guard to protect his family and friends from rioters.

In residential complexes in Ahmedabad, both Hindus and Muslims, form groups of 25 to 30 volunteers and keep their eyes peeled for people moving around their neighbourhood by dark.

Some of the older men in their 30s carry batons and iron rods to protect themselves in the event of a mob attack.

India's western state of Gujarat has seen the worst Hindu-Muslim blood-letting in a decade which has left over 580 people dead in the past five days.

"To ensure security within our private apartment complex we have to be alert all night," said 30-year-old Vadgama. "It is a tedious job but usually we take turns keeping watch."

His Rajdeep Park residential apartment block, which was attacked by a mob last week, is in a Muslim neighbourhood and has narrow lanes leading to the entrance.

"All the people in the group know the residents around the area. So we keep a watchful eye on any outsider," Vadgama said.

"Every once in a while in the night we go up onto the terrace and hide there to see if anyone has dared to come in," he said.

At the Deluxe Apartments housing complex in the city's downtown area of Paldi about 15 people gather outside their building and play badminton, soccer and cards at night to keep awake.

"Though the policemen are on the beat we feel it is better to be on guard overselves," said 30-year-old businessman Nempal Parekh.

"It is tough to go out at night as a curfew is in place. So we combine sports with our make-shift duty to kill time. We sleep around six in the morning and wake up by eleven," Parekh said.

It is difficult to get access to the middle class Nasir Apartments residential complex which houses 16 Muslim families as it has been targetted several times by Hindu mobs.

Police now guard the entry points to the Muslim residential complex. Any car entering the alley leading to Nasir Apartments is flagged down quickly so that civilian "night guards" can distinguish friends from foes.

Elderly men huddle at the front gate discussing the riots.

"This is part of our life now," said Humayoon Hussian a resident of Nasir Apartments. "I sleep through the day and work during the night. It is a bit scary as our complex was targetted thrice and we had one very narrow escape."

Kamal Jani, who extends loans for car purchases and stays in Ahmedabad's Neelam Kunj residential complex, says he and his neighbours "are always alert at night."

"I think we have to go through this routine for another week," Jani said, adding they had foiled an attempt by some rioters to sneak into their building.

"Women and children feel insecure when they hear about peace-loving people being killed. So our patrolling by night gives them a sense of safety," Jani said.

"Ahmedabad's rich and elite have recruited private guards. But we have to save money... being night guard ourselves is the only way out," he said. 

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