I have been covering energy sector as a journalist actively for almost a year now and learning new things everyday. But on this Thursday (Jan 8) proved very much different. On this rare day I touched almost all the aspects of energy sector i.e. petrol, diesel, gas, electricity, secondary energy and CNG.
The ‘story’ started on Wednesday when I found pin of my bike’s fuel-meter started flirting with the red mark towards left. I noticed it while leaving office after 11 pm and failed to find any petrol pump open on my way back to sisters’ place. I hit bed with a promise to myself to get the tank full on Thursday since lot of running around was expected, thanks to Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit during 11-13 January.
On Thursday, I found petrol pumps relatively crowded while I was running late for office as usual. I again promised myself to get the tank full whenever I leave office to for fieldwork and parked my bike in office backyard. However, I was too lazy to take bike, cross signals and wait in queue at petrol pump before going to the HDFC bank nearby for some essential transactions, which I was delaying for many days. I preferred to walk down to the bank. On my way back, I bumped into a friend, at about 2:00 pm, who directed his peon to take his vehicle to the petrol pump, as speculations were rife about fuel stations facing supply crunch. I suddenly remembered my interactions with people in energy sector about ‘bandh’ called by Oil Sector Officers Association (OSOA) and all India truck owners association. I was still very lazy to think about fuel in my bike and rushed to the office as boss called at 3:00 pm.
At office, I ended up with filing reimbursement claims for trips to Vadodara (Oct) and Jaipur (Nov), a copy on new Wind Power Policy, checking final layout of a special page for Vibrant Gujarat Summit and of course usual incoming and outgoing calls that journos deal with after 5:00 pm on a typical day. I started working on state government’s New Wind Power Policy, which was third energy related policy in a row in less than a week after Power Generation and Solar Power policies.
On this power packed day, my mobile phone battery started drying in the evening and I went to ET Gujarati section to borrow charger from a colleague who directed me to other colleague. I found his phone on charger while he was away from the desk. I checked battery level in his cell phone and without informing him I unplugged the charger and carried it to my desk.
At about 8:00 pm, an official from one of the city gas distribution (CGD) companies called me before sending a media statement and briefed about the ongoing energy crisis in the country on account of OSOA, particularly in Gujarat. Industrial units in South Gujarat were the first victim of gas supply cut. Local CGD player retained supplies to the priority segment (households and CNG consumers). I started making fanatic calls to other CGD players and experts and petroleum dealer association office bearers etc etc etc for more info……….. Petroleum dealer association secretary hastily briefed me about the crisis as he feared his phone to get disconnected due to low battery. He quickly updated that 60% of state’s 1,770 petrol pumps are dry and 20% more will be joining the club next morning. (Gujarat guzzles 25 crore litre of diesel and 8 crore petrol a month.)
Amidst calls and keying in copy, I decided to leave with my colleague and stay at his place for a night. Amidst supply crunch of petrol, diesel and gas, my colleague sent yet another shocker. He admitted that electricity-distributing company disconnected power to his apartment (bachelors’ paradise) since he didn’t pay bill in time. I used my journalistic character and requested the media relation official of the electricity distributor to reconnect power for a night and assured him that my colleague will pay bill next morning without fail.
However, my colleague left office ahead of me as I was running late with my copies. I left office with another colleague in rick and grabbed a bite on way. We again took a rick, dropped friend on way and directed auto rickshaw driver towards another colleague’s place. On way, I started chatting with rickshaw driver and suggested (with bit of authority rather :-) him not to worry about CNG supplies. After reaching the destination, I asked for fare and driver sought Rs 50, which surprised me since it should not have been more that Rs 35. While struggling to read meter in dark I asked for tariff card for verification. Driver, smugly, pointed at tariff-chart and said, “Its time for night tariff sir.”
The ‘story’ started on Wednesday when I found pin of my bike’s fuel-meter started flirting with the red mark towards left. I noticed it while leaving office after 11 pm and failed to find any petrol pump open on my way back to sisters’ place. I hit bed with a promise to myself to get the tank full on Thursday since lot of running around was expected, thanks to Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit during 11-13 January.
On Thursday, I found petrol pumps relatively crowded while I was running late for office as usual. I again promised myself to get the tank full whenever I leave office to for fieldwork and parked my bike in office backyard. However, I was too lazy to take bike, cross signals and wait in queue at petrol pump before going to the HDFC bank nearby for some essential transactions, which I was delaying for many days. I preferred to walk down to the bank. On my way back, I bumped into a friend, at about 2:00 pm, who directed his peon to take his vehicle to the petrol pump, as speculations were rife about fuel stations facing supply crunch. I suddenly remembered my interactions with people in energy sector about ‘bandh’ called by Oil Sector Officers Association (OSOA) and all India truck owners association. I was still very lazy to think about fuel in my bike and rushed to the office as boss called at 3:00 pm.
At office, I ended up with filing reimbursement claims for trips to Vadodara (Oct) and Jaipur (Nov), a copy on new Wind Power Policy, checking final layout of a special page for Vibrant Gujarat Summit and of course usual incoming and outgoing calls that journos deal with after 5:00 pm on a typical day. I started working on state government’s New Wind Power Policy, which was third energy related policy in a row in less than a week after Power Generation and Solar Power policies.
On this power packed day, my mobile phone battery started drying in the evening and I went to ET Gujarati section to borrow charger from a colleague who directed me to other colleague. I found his phone on charger while he was away from the desk. I checked battery level in his cell phone and without informing him I unplugged the charger and carried it to my desk.
At about 8:00 pm, an official from one of the city gas distribution (CGD) companies called me before sending a media statement and briefed about the ongoing energy crisis in the country on account of OSOA, particularly in Gujarat. Industrial units in South Gujarat were the first victim of gas supply cut. Local CGD player retained supplies to the priority segment (households and CNG consumers). I started making fanatic calls to other CGD players and experts and petroleum dealer association office bearers etc etc etc for more info……….. Petroleum dealer association secretary hastily briefed me about the crisis as he feared his phone to get disconnected due to low battery. He quickly updated that 60% of state’s 1,770 petrol pumps are dry and 20% more will be joining the club next morning. (Gujarat guzzles 25 crore litre of diesel and 8 crore petrol a month.)
Amidst calls and keying in copy, I decided to leave with my colleague and stay at his place for a night. Amidst supply crunch of petrol, diesel and gas, my colleague sent yet another shocker. He admitted that electricity-distributing company disconnected power to his apartment (bachelors’ paradise) since he didn’t pay bill in time. I used my journalistic character and requested the media relation official of the electricity distributor to reconnect power for a night and assured him that my colleague will pay bill next morning without fail.
However, my colleague left office ahead of me as I was running late with my copies. I left office with another colleague in rick and grabbed a bite on way. We again took a rick, dropped friend on way and directed auto rickshaw driver towards another colleague’s place. On way, I started chatting with rickshaw driver and suggested (with bit of authority rather :-) him not to worry about CNG supplies. After reaching the destination, I asked for fare and driver sought Rs 50, which surprised me since it should not have been more that Rs 35. While struggling to read meter in dark I asked for tariff card for verification. Driver, smugly, pointed at tariff-chart and said, “Its time for night tariff sir.”
2 comments:
Dost aatlu badhu lakhish to kharo tu pan vaanchvaa no time kone chhe?? I tried to reach the end of the post but fell asleep while doing so and had to start from the beginning and again I fell asleep almost from the same point. I couldnt gather enough will to go up again.. Then I decided to write this comment.. hahahahahaha
Saale, bimar aadmi ko aur bimar bana dega! Orkut ne yeha bjeja. Bheja to bheja, par bhejte wakth bataya nahi ke Mitul saab ne bheja fry ka vandovast kiya hai. Ab mein msg bhej ke tera beja fry karta hu!!
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