Storm of confusion hits Chandigarh
Schools and coaching classes were suspended and outdoor weddings were shifted indoors in anticipation of the storm that kept everyone waiting as the sun shone bright through the day.
It rained confusion in Chandigarh tricity on Monday. The Met department’s storm warning, which gathered magnitude and momentum thanks to social media, led to a deluge of uncertainty as the day wore on.
Schools and coaching classes were suspended and outdoor weddings were shifted indoors in anticipation of the storm that kept everyone waiting as the sun shone bright through the day. The storm finally hit the tricity at 8.30pm but not before blowing away people’s plans.
It all started with the Haryana government declaring a holiday in schools on May 7 and 8 as a preventive step. While schoolchildren in Panchkula looked forward to an extended weekend, their anxious counterparts in Chandigarh and Mohali were left wondering if they should get ready for school or not. The Chandigarh administration decided to shut schools by Monday noon. But some private schools declared a holiday.
“Our school, KB DAV Public School, Sector 7, Chandigarh, was working but in the middle of the day when parents were asked to pick up their wards. This caused inconvenience to many,” says Ashutosh Malhotra, a Class 12 student.
Ishaan Vashishta, who took the NEET exam on Sunday, had grand plans to watch a movie with friends. But his anxious parents vetoed his plans. It seems The Avengers need to have Storm from X-men on their team to make sure all students from the tricity can at least watch the movie on a stormy holiday.
“Our coaching class was to be cancelled due to the warning but then the day turned out to be bright and we were summoned,” says Arushi Kapoor, an economics student at Panjab University.
Travel travails
Travel plans went for a toss, too. Muskaan Kapoor, a student of MA English at Panjab University, says, “I cancelled my booking to Dharamshala for nothing.”
Aarti Bansal, a Panchkula-based chartered accountant, says she was to leave for an audit in Kaithal but cancelled her trip at the last minute. “I’ve been stranded in a storm earlier so didn’t want to take a chance.” She was glad she got to spend a bonus day with her four-year-old daughter.
With the maximum touching 38 degrees Celsius, the impending storm gave way to jokes on social media. “The news got leaked so God has postponed the storm,” said one. “The thunderstorms are in our house today,” said another, referring to the kids.
Desolate lake
Sukhna Lake wore a deserted look. Club manager Naib Singh said though boating is closed on Monday at Lake Club, members were wary of boating even on Sunday. “I can’t say if people will venture out on Tuesday. We won’t provide boats if an official warning is issued,” he says.
Shivinder Singh, a scientist at the Met department, says such storms are normal at this time of the year. “Don’t panic. If a weather warning is to be issued, the IMD will put the information out through proper channels,” he adds