Yeh Numaish Ki Andhar Ki Baat Hai... Visitors raise brouhaha over network glitches

Hyderabad: Thousands of people visiting ‘Numaish’ seem frustrated owing to network-related and technical difficulties on the premises of exhibition grounds. No mobile network to make a call, no digital transactions and ATM card swiping for purchasing goods left visitors in teasy.

With lack of mobile network, which is creating a problem for online payments and card-swiping, stall-owners are asking for only cash payments. Visitors shopping at the exhibition are facing trouble, with only cash being accepted in stalls. As huge queue lines are seen near the ATM many are turning away.

Numaish this year is a hit. During weekdays there is an average footfall of over 45,000; nearly 85,000 during weekends. On Sankranti it touched one lakh mark. But the visitors have been struggling with network issues. However, officials at the Exhibition society said it has already installed different telecom towers on the premises. Several thousands visiting the exhibition might be the reasons for the network glitch, they informed.

Saba Kaunain, a visitor at a Kashmiri art stall, said, “I purchased clothes but was unable to pay bill through digital transactions as I had no network; was forced to do shopping with cash.”

According to observers, with such technical difficulties, both stall-owners and visitors are facing hardships Stall vendors from across the country, usually those who have been setting up stalls for many years, are losing out on sales when customers don’t carry cash and cannot pay online. Visitors are missing out on their shopping experience, food, and fun rides.

The stall-owners said during afternoon hours digital transactions and machines are working, but as the number of visitors goes up, the network gets jammed resulting in poor signals. Kanhaiya, owner of Jaipuri stall, said to get cash traders are going along with customer to an ATM sometimes outside the Numaish premises for transaction. “The ATM machines on the exhibition premises are also running out of cash. Hence we are forced to go out for both digital and card transactions,” he added.

Most visitors who have been here before are aware of this problem. They are carrying cash as their mode of payment. However, first-time visitors are seen frustrated and red-faced for making payments. Shahid Ali said, “this is not new as this happens every year. When we plan to visit Numaish we make sure that we carry cash.”

Notably, with no mobile network on the premises, people face difficulties in locating their dear ones. “My daughter who is a teen got lost near the fun games zone. When we tried to call her, there was no network. After tracing for some time, we had to make an announcement at the station for her. This issue has to be solved by the Exhibition Society,” said Anil Neelam, a visitor.