Chilled out ATM!

As we sit in the comfort, temperature controlled rooms in our office and homes; it is hard to envision a place and that too within our own country wherein even daily, mundane tasks seem impossible because of the cold. While the cold wave is just reaching the cities, Himachal is already snowed in.

Snow is romantic, tourists flock from across the country to experience the ‘white winter’ but for people living there, it stopped being fun and romantic long ago. Imagine heating the fuel tank of your car to melt t the frozen diesel and then, to start it. Pour boiling water on pipes and taps to free frozen pipes? And imagine, waiting till late afternoon or so in a long queue so that you can withdraw some much needed cash from the ATM. Why? In -8 and -12 degrees, our ATM’s are not winter equipped and consequently, bank officials have to spend hours trying to heat the machine up!

If you are planning to head to the snowy side of India, this winter, carry heaps of food, water, torches and cash. Wrist watches and mobiles are really of no use there as they too get frozen in the cold. Just take tons of warm clothes, sufficient money and ‘the spirit’ to survive the wintry chill of Northern India.