Rain, a pain for some, fun for others

Bhopal: The prolonged spell of rain has evoked mixed reaction from the city residents. While some are glad that rains have made the weather pleasant and replenished the groundwater, there are a few who are not so happy as they have to work under the open sky to earn their daily bread. Traders, especially street vendors, say that their business is suffering as customers are shying away from their shops due to rains.
Sonia Gupta, a college student who commutes by her two-wheeler, said, “It is very difficult to drive in the rain.The pathetic state of city roads is adding to our problem and the chances of accidents go up.”
A vegetable vendor Suresh Soni of Arera Hills said, “The sale has dropped significantly as customers don’t prefer to come out to buy vegetables during rains. But we have to brave the rain, customers or no customers. The muddy footpaths also make our life miserable.”
Traffic policemen who have the responsibility of managing traffic during rains also face difficulties while doing their duty during monsoon. With no umbrella they have to rush to put on raincoats whenever, a heavy shower strikes them. It is difficult for them to do an 8 to 10 hour work shift when they are drenched from head to toe.
Town inspector (traffic) Milan Jain said, “The biggest problem that we face during the rains is that our shoes get wet and we have to keep wearing them till we finish our shift. Our feet get wrinkled and we also get rashes because of being wet for a long time. Though the department has distributed raincoats to traffic inspectors, it’s the shoes that are a bigger problem.”
While some people are struggling to do their job in the rainy season, many are having a gala time in the monsoon. Relishing bhutta at the Boat Club, Anjali Mishra said, “I love monsoonas it is so refreshing. The atmosphere is pollution free and we get a big respite from heat. This year the monsoon arrived a bit late but I am happy that it is pouring now.”
Nitanshu Rehani, who loves to go for long drives, said: “I play soft music in my car and go around the city seeing people enjoy the rains. You can see children jumping into puddles and making paper boats. It give me a lot of joy to go on a long drive and relax.”