It’s 22.23 hours, and a violent storm has unleashed its wrath on Noida. Thundering, lightening, a vile gail and a massive downpour. The lights went out for a few minutes, but thanks to the full power backup facility, it’s back.
I’m not so sure about the rest of the city, which does not have the luxury of renting a place with full power backup; you see the electricity department in noida is in shambles. The lights may go out even 20 times a day (Alan once counted!). In fact before I arrived in these parts of the country, I had never even heard of the term ‘full power back-up’, which essentially means that you shell out a pretty penny every month for a steady supply of electricity that supports all your electronic gadgets, right from AC to TV to geyser, and is generated by…well…a generator. This one is a central one though, a kin to central air-conditioning.
On a different note, the water is undrinkable. It’s hard as a rock, and your intestines are sure to get ulcers if you drink it, everyday. To soften it, one has to either purchase an RO (7 grand approximately), or a regular supply of mineral water.
I often wonder what the poor folks do. Now, if only Lady Mayawati channelised those funds, which are being pumped into building a mammoth Dalit memorial (I call it The Great Wall Of Noida), to create better amenities in the town, and the rest of the state.
The spookiest thing about the memorial are the umpteen statues erected across the venue, and covered with a purple robes. They cut eerie figures, as you drive down Film City, as if they might spring to life at any moment.
Tags: CM, dalit, great wall, mayawati, Noida
