12 December 2012
On Monday, on my way to work, I saw a dead dog on the pavement just beyond Patel Chest Institute and before Geology. Sad, I thought, and walked on. And assumed that someone would do something about it. They didn’t.
On Tuesday, there it was again. Oh no, I thought, I really ought to draw someone’s attention to it. And forgot.
On Wednesday, there it was again, I kept it in mind and as I got in at the gate leading to the Botany Department, asked the chowkidar about it. “Hanji, humne bol diya.” Whom did they tell? The safai-wallahs, who refused to do anything about it. Ouch…. Then I had an inspiration and asked the chai-wallah just across from the department whether he had a phone number for the MCD. And, believe it or not (I could not), he whipped out his cell phone and gave me the number of — the MCD dog department! WELL!
Still disbelieving, I rang the number expecting a long wait (it was just before 10 am). And, believe it or not (I could not), someone picked it up at second ring. “Hanji, yeh MCD hai.” and I got passed on to the right person, who took down the details, took my name and phone number and said they would get on to it. By this time I was completely overwhelmed by the idea of a communication system that worked, said to myself, whatever – at least now I have a telephone number for follow-up.
So I go into my office, settle down for a 10 am meeting with my students, am still so taken by my recent experience that I start recounting it to them, when my phone rings. And, believe it or not (I could not), he says “Hum MCD se hain, woh kutta kahan hai ji?” Strike me pink!! I tell them where the dog is (they know Narula’s as a landmark but not the Arts Faculty–what WILL they do when Narula’s closes down?), and he assures me that they would get rid of it. I cannot stop talking about it most of the day.
Oh, and they really did do it. There was no dog when I returned home in the evening.
*MCD=Municipal Corporation of Delhi