The Hindu : New Delhi News : Mobile revolution

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 31, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Mobile revolution

This is truly the mobile revolution. From auto-rickshaw drivers keeping in touch with regular customers to carpenters giving appointments through the mobile phone, even blackmarkeeters at cinema halls have now discovered the worth of this innovation.

The release of "Bunty and Bubli", which puts Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek on the same screen, ensured a happy weekend for black marketeers at Chanakya theatre.

Whether the recently released film sets cash registers ringing is yet to be seen, but blackmarketeers were certainly making money as tickets were being sold at double the original price. But more than the enthusiastic demand for tickets, it was the mobile revolution that caught the attention of eager cinemagoers. Busy selling tickets, one blackmarketeer had his neck constantly pressed to his shoulder with a mobile sandwiched in between.

"I will hold the tickets for you till an hour before the film and then I will sell them. There is a great demand and I will not lower the price,'' he said repeatedly into the phone as cinema lovers rang in for tickets.

"I only give this number to trusted customers. They call me whenever a much-awaited film is released,'' revealed the blackmarketeer.

Anjali Dhal Samanta

Help needed

It is celebration time at the office of Samrakshan, a non-government organisation working for care of stray dogs, which has recently been handed over a spay/neuter facility by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi Government.

This unit is situated at Ghazipur in East Delhi that is in dire need of a facility of this nature. This is the only spay/neuter facility to be located in this part of the city, which is also one of the most densely populated areas of Delhi.

According to officials at Samrakshan, this facility initially will operate in response to citizens' complaints, with the dogs being brought in by civic body personnel. "Our other ABC unit at Prahladpur (North-West Delhi) has shifted to working in an exclusively `area based' manner where all operations are performed on animals caught by our personnel in a coordinated area-wise fashion. Such an approach helps in maximising the impact of spay/neuter work.''

The unit is now hoping for supporters to run the new Ghazipur unit and also for day-to-day equipment to let man's best friend be comfortable.

Samrakshan is looking for items including refrigerator, deep freeze, coolers and fans, electrical fittings including bulbs and tubelights, cleaning material including phenyl, mops and brooms, cleaning powder and Vim bar for washing bowls, almirahs, cupboards, trunks and other such storage material and tables, chairs, stools and any other office furniture.

Issuing the appeal, the Samrakshan promises that it would have the item picked up from any part of Delhi. "A small effort from your end will make a huge difference to the dogs that pass through our doors. Contributions in cash are always welcome as also sponsors wiling to sponsor feeding at our ABC units,'' says a Samrakshan staff member.

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

Toll plaza mess

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is busy these days opening hi-tech toll plazas at inter-State borders. Within a couple of months, the civic body has opened almost half-a-dozen plazas claiming that they would reduce traffic congestion on the borders and make monitoring of vehicles entering the Capital a less cumbersome job.

The 10 entry points to Delhi that will have the new system by June-end are Singhu, New Mandoli, Apasara, Ghazipur, Kalindi Kunj, Badapur, Aya Nagar, Tikri, Kapashera and Rajokri.

However, even the opening of these plazas has not made much difference on the ground. Chaotic traffic and the unprofessional functioning of the toll plazas has become a nuisance for motorists. So far the MCD has not been able to match the professional style of functioning of the automated toll plazas on national highways.

While inaugurating the first plaza with the "intelligent transport system" this past month, Municipal Commissioner Rakesh Mehta had stated that it was a very advanced system that would not only improve toll collection but also help the police and sales tax authorities to keep a close watch on the entry of vehicles and the type of goods making their way into the Capital.

The system might be hi-tech, but so far it has failed to ensure a smooth flow of traffic. The untrained staff of private contractors can often be seen putting barricades on approach roads towards the plaza which not only disturbs smooth flow of traffic but is also a potential accident hazard.

The mess at these plazas is unimaginable at night when heavy goods vehicles enter the Capital. Long queues of trucks and their improper handling by toll plaza employees results in jams causing unnecessary harassment to private motorists. Unless MCD provides an effective monitoring mechanism at these plazas, the new system will remain inefficient.

Sandeep Joshi

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi

News Update

Stories in this Section

Alarm bells ringing for Sheila Govt.

A faux pas at DU

"Power companies fudging records"

Water-starved people out on the streets

Targeting the `smoking doctors'

High Court summons trial court record in Katara case

DJB chief's assurance to High Court

Call to foster democracy