The unprecedented heat wave in Bhubaneswar with no immediate respite on sight, can be attributed to couple of reasons.
First, a rapid, reckless urbanization and deforestation. The lush greenery and water bodies crisscrossing the city have been replaced by high rise buildings, with little or no plantations or surrounding water bodies to replace them. Rourkela, only the other hand, deserves kudos for still retaining in its greenery.
Second, an inept and corrupt authority. Nero fiddled when Rome burned, the authority not only slept when the city grew, they became ludicrously corrupt, with no immediate respite in sight.
Reminds me another summer day in Odisha couple of years back, when the temperature topped 45 degree Centigrade (115 F). Around noon, when I stepped out of home, it felt like as if some one opened the door of an oven on my face. I rode a Scooty to the local gas
station (locally called petrol pump ) to fill up the gas tank. The ride was a rude reminder of nature's constant blowing of a hair dryer on my face.
Job done, the pump attendant was about to hand me over the changes when his mobile phone rang. He took the call and went on "TIKE PIAJA AU RASUNA DEI BHAJIBU (Saute fry using onion and garlic)". A customer can afford to wait getting fried waiting for change in 45 degree plus 80% humidity heat, but onion garlic stir fry can hardly wait.
After grabbing the change without bothering about counting, I rushed back home for a shower to cool down. Before I could switch on the motor to fill up our overhead water the electricity went poof.
For 4 hour no power ;
No toilet no shower.
Felt like a fish out of water, lying supine on hot bed getting barbecued. It's 5 PM, still no sign of electricity. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over me I am a great grill. Another couple of hours I could have become a SUKHUA or dried fish, an Odia delicacy.
Only positive news from back home - the electricity hasn't played truant so far. Otherwise, those already feeling like fish out of water, will soon turn to SUKHUA (dry fish), an Odia delicacy.
So much for the tag of smartest of the "Smart City". Heat wave is not a recent phenomena. Yet due to the woeful unpreparedness of the authorities, it was was a disaster waiting to happen. Damn history can't just stop repeating itself.
First, a rapid, reckless urbanization and deforestation. The lush greenery and water bodies crisscrossing the city have been replaced by high rise buildings, with little or no plantations or surrounding water bodies to replace them. Rourkela, only the other hand, deserves kudos for still retaining in its greenery.
Second, an inept and corrupt authority. Nero fiddled when Rome burned, the authority not only slept when the city grew, they became ludicrously corrupt, with no immediate respite in sight.
Reminds me another summer day in Odisha couple of years back, when the temperature topped 45 degree Centigrade (115 F). Around noon, when I stepped out of home, it felt like as if some one opened the door of an oven on my face. I rode a Scooty to the local gas
station (locally called petrol pump ) to fill up the gas tank. The ride was a rude reminder of nature's constant blowing of a hair dryer on my face.
Job done, the pump attendant was about to hand me over the changes when his mobile phone rang. He took the call and went on "TIKE PIAJA AU RASUNA DEI BHAJIBU (Saute fry using onion and garlic)". A customer can afford to wait getting fried waiting for change in 45 degree plus 80% humidity heat, but onion garlic stir fry can hardly wait.
After grabbing the change without bothering about counting, I rushed back home for a shower to cool down. Before I could switch on the motor to fill up our overhead water the electricity went poof.
For 4 hour no power ;
No toilet no shower.
Felt like a fish out of water, lying supine on hot bed getting barbecued. It's 5 PM, still no sign of electricity. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over me I am a great grill. Another couple of hours I could have become a SUKHUA or dried fish, an Odia delicacy.
Only positive news from back home - the electricity hasn't played truant so far. Otherwise, those already feeling like fish out of water, will soon turn to SUKHUA (dry fish), an Odia delicacy.
So much for the tag of smartest of the "Smart City". Heat wave is not a recent phenomena. Yet due to the woeful unpreparedness of the authorities, it was was a disaster waiting to happen. Damn history can't just stop repeating itself.
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