‘25 per cent work hours go waste’

Vijay Khandelwal, a 79-year-old hardware merchant, is facing tough times. Like many other shop-owners on Deshbandhu Gupta Road, he has to face the wrath of traumatising power cuts daily. Kartikeya Batra reports.

Vijay Khandelwal, a 79-year-old hardware merchant, is facing tough times. Like many other shop-owners on Deshbandhu Gupta Road, he has to face the wrath of traumatising power cuts daily.

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“Out of the 8 hours at work, we are powerless for at least 2 hours everyday," said Khandelwal.

“Already there is an acute shortage of water in the area. Add to that these power cuts, which coincide with the MCD water supply cut. Due to absence of electricity, the pumps do not function and we are out of drinking water everyday,” he added. As a result, he has to buy mineral water cans everyday.

“Buying cans means shelling out Rs 100 everyday,” said 38-year-old Puneet Kumar, the store manager.

He also maintains that the combined impact of these power cuts and the scorching heat is too much. “By the time we reach home, we are out of our wits,” said Khandelwal, a resident of Chawri Bazar.

Khandelwal is also wary about a hike in the power tariffs. “Already we have to pay exorbitant amounts, another tariff hike will spell doom for us," he said.