Amidst Delhi's soaring temperatures and frequent power cuts, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung announced on Sunday that malls in the city won't get electricity after 10 pm.
He has also asked educational institutes and government offices to switch off air conditioners from 3.30 pm to 4.30 pm to conserve electricity.
But would the woes of Delhi residents, who have been grappling unending power cuts along with the sizzling heat, end by taking these measures?
Anshuman Shekhar, 25, lives in East Delhi's Dilshad Garden. He says that the latest step is unlikely to have any effect on the lives of the residents of Delhi. "The LG's order is like uth ke muh main jeera. I don't believe that the vast population of Delhi will have any respite this summer even if the malls will not be given power after 10 pm. It's too little, too late."
Anjali Rambal, a resident of Panchsheel Park in South Delhi echoes the same opinion by saying that this cannot be a long term solution for the city's power crisis.
She explains, "Our electricity bill this month was over Rs 3,000 but in spite of paying so much, I don't see any reliable power supply here. I think curbing the power supply to malls is alright but it can't be a long term solution. And since the educational institutes are mostly closed now, I am not sure how much it would aid power conservation."
Others like Ashima Gandhi, a young artist, worry whether power supply to the malls would lead to cancellation of the late night movie shows too.
Gandhi says, "If the malls are not given power, they might stop holding late night shows, which would be a sham. So many families and people who work late hours go to a mall to see late night shows. If this also stops, then the summer would only get worse."
Vikas Gandhi, 41, is the owner of a shop in the prominent Crowne Plaza mall. He says that if the government does not supply power to malls after 10 pm, it will result in huge losses to the business outlets.
"Most of the customers come to a mall during late evenings because of the hot weather, so if we have to shut shops then it will affect our business. The malls do have power backup, but it is very expensive. So most likely our business will suffer." (ANI)
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