Recharge hubs are a big draw in blacked-out Kanniyakumari
B. Kolappan
NAGERCOIL, DECEMBER 04, 2017 00:00 IST
Powering up:Residents charging their electronic devices in Kanniyakumari .Special Arrangement
Residents of cyclone-hit district throng well-to-do households with UPS facility for help ranging from water supply to charging phones
The saying o or k oodi t her i zhuthal (when the village comes together to pull the temple car) in Tamil aptly describes unity. In Ockhi-hit Kanniyakumari district, people have come together to recharge their devices. As most of the district is still reeling from a power cut and UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) back-ups have drained out, people throng houses that can afford a generator to lift water to overhead tanks — the generator also serves as a mode to recharge mobile phones, emergency lamps and torches.
Meanwhile, in Vallankumaravilai near Nagercoil, T. Vaikundamani, a wholesale mango vendor, has set up a hub for recharging mobile batteries . “I have a generator and I have decided to use it for the benefit of the public,” said Mr. Vaikundamani, whose fruit shop has become a stopover of a couple of hours for commuters charging their mobiles. A crowd throngs the shop continuously.
“The shop will remain open between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., and again between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m.,” he says, telling the waiting people that priority should be given to phones with completely drained-out batteries.
Hotels in most of the district are selling wheat-based food like chappathi, puri and parotta, since flour for making idli, dosai and idiyappam cannot be ground without electricity. Big restaurants that have generators draw huge crowds by selling varieties of food.
“The power cut has also raised the demand for generators. By the time I visited the local dealer for a Honda generator, I was told it would take a couple of days to get a new machine as all stock has been sold,” said H. Rajesh, a local electrician.
Some owners make a killing out of renting out generators. “In the beginning, they charged Rs. 400 per hour, but they increased the rate to Rs. 500 per hour after there was heavy demand. You also have to keep a bottle of kerosene handy as modern generators require kerosene for ignition,” said actor and film director Alagamperumal, who is visiting his village for a family wedding.
The availability of phone recharge facilities spreads word-by-mouth, and people rush to homes having generators, or Mr. Vaikundamani’s shop.
In a nearby residence, Mr. Ravi, who owns a generator, supplies drinking water to people in the morning and evening. Even though there's plenty of water, people depend on tankers in many places, since water cannot be pumped without power.
B. Kolappan
NAGERCOIL, DECEMBER 04, 2017 00:00 IST
Powering up:Residents charging their electronic devices in Kanniyakumari .Special Arrangement
Residents of cyclone-hit district throng well-to-do households with UPS facility for help ranging from water supply to charging phones
The saying o or k oodi t her i zhuthal (when the village comes together to pull the temple car) in Tamil aptly describes unity. In Ockhi-hit Kanniyakumari district, people have come together to recharge their devices. As most of the district is still reeling from a power cut and UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply) back-ups have drained out, people throng houses that can afford a generator to lift water to overhead tanks — the generator also serves as a mode to recharge mobile phones, emergency lamps and torches.
Meanwhile, in Vallankumaravilai near Nagercoil, T. Vaikundamani, a wholesale mango vendor, has set up a hub for recharging mobile batteries . “I have a generator and I have decided to use it for the benefit of the public,” said Mr. Vaikundamani, whose fruit shop has become a stopover of a couple of hours for commuters charging their mobiles. A crowd throngs the shop continuously.
“The shop will remain open between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., and again between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m.,” he says, telling the waiting people that priority should be given to phones with completely drained-out batteries.
Hotels in most of the district are selling wheat-based food like chappathi, puri and parotta, since flour for making idli, dosai and idiyappam cannot be ground without electricity. Big restaurants that have generators draw huge crowds by selling varieties of food.
“The power cut has also raised the demand for generators. By the time I visited the local dealer for a Honda generator, I was told it would take a couple of days to get a new machine as all stock has been sold,” said H. Rajesh, a local electrician.
Some owners make a killing out of renting out generators. “In the beginning, they charged Rs. 400 per hour, but they increased the rate to Rs. 500 per hour after there was heavy demand. You also have to keep a bottle of kerosene handy as modern generators require kerosene for ignition,” said actor and film director Alagamperumal, who is visiting his village for a family wedding.
The availability of phone recharge facilities spreads word-by-mouth, and people rush to homes having generators, or Mr. Vaikundamani’s shop.
In a nearby residence, Mr. Ravi, who owns a generator, supplies drinking water to people in the morning and evening. Even though there's plenty of water, people depend on tankers in many places, since water cannot be pumped without power.
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