Low voltage posting

New to Srinagar, it is not the militancy that bothers me. True, encounters between the militants and the military take place every day, s...

New to Srinagar, it is not the militancy that bothers me. True, encounters between the militants and the military take place every day, sometimes right in the heart of the city. Grenades are hurled at security pickets. Soldiers seek out militants in cordon-and-search operations. Passers-by get caught in the crossfire. But, invariably, these things happen to other people. As for me, I even slept through the noisy, just-to-remind-you-we-are-still-there blast set up by the militants in Srinagar the day Atal Behari Vajpayee visited. My concerns are more mundane. Like power and water.

Though snowfall has been late this year, it has been much colder than usual for the season. The Dal Lake has begun freezing, leading to incongruous sights like the boatman walking around his stuck-in-the-ice shikara. But I am more worried about the frozen water pipes at my new home. After a crucial pipe burst 8212; ice does that at times 8212; all the taps have gone dry, barring the one out in the cold courtyard. I still thank theweather-gods. For I am told that when things really get bad, even the water in the commode freezes.

It is not my landlord8217;s fault, I hasten to add before he turns me out. The house boasts big water storage tanks and two large water-heaters. But then the geysers don8217;t work when water doesn8217;t get to them. So I have gone for the cheap, Rs 30 alternative: high resistance wire wound round a lump of porcelain which you simply dump into your bucket of water. And wait for an hour-and-a-half for the water to get really hot. But you must get up early enough for the immersion, for the power goes off at 9.00 am.

The culprit really is the low voltage. The dry weather which has reduced the water flow to the Jhelum hydel plant and the blowing up of a power transmission tower by the militants have worsened the situation. The Kashmiri method of paying for power, I am sure, adds to the scarcity. The consumers don8217;t pay according to the amount they use. Instead, they shell out a flat rate, calculated separately for eachhousehold. So if your have more power-points and gadgets, you pay more. Naturally, if you are a minister8217;s relative, this doesn8217;t apply. In any case, once the flat rate has been decided you are free to waste electricity.

I try to do just that, but find that there is little power to waste in the first place. I know I have to opt for a non-electrical solution to heat my home, but there is too much to choose from. Traditional coke-bukharis are good, but they need constant attention. You need an LPG connection for gas-fired heaters. Some kerosene heaters, they say, give off nasty fumes. Somebody suggested a bukhari which burns sawdust and gives off gentle warmth. But I was put off when told that sawdust bukharis are usually installed in poultry farms.

The electric blanket works well for me maybe the voltage picks up late at night. But as as I drift off I sometimes wonder if it can electrocute me. I am assured that if this happens, mine would be the first recorded instance of the kind.The locals also advise against buying branded gadgets 8212; not even voltage regulators 8212; because they are not designed for the low Kashmiri voltage. I did notice the difference when I replaced a normal 100-watt bulb, designed for the normal 250 volts power supply, with a somewhat harder-to-find 200-watt bulb with 150 volts stamped on it.

The high-watt, low-volt bulbs are a brilliant solution, but what does one do with the dim, normal8217; bulbs in the house? I have found they make excellent hand-warmers. When you come in from the cold, just cup your hand around one. A word of warning: if you are under 12 and do not live in the Valley, try this only under adult supervision.