Hustle-bustle was missing

Hustle-bustle was missing
DH News Service,Bangalore:
A desert-like calm descended upon the HAL airport right from early Saturday morning, a chilling contrast to the feverish bustle that marked it till late on Friday night.

The fact that the place had taken on a totally different air was evident the moment you parked your two-wheeler and the lady at the payment cubicle quipped: “No more parking fee!”
A few more steps and it looked as if an “Operation Dismantle” was on: efforts were on to pull down the car parking payment cubicles, trolleys were being wheeled out and important immigration documents were being loaded on to a vehicle outside.
Barricades had converted the arrival and departure terminals into no man’s zones. Women were seen sweeping the area clean.
Several KSTDC taxi-drivers were seen waiting to collect their pending payment from the airport authorities with tokens in hand, probably for the last time.
A few autorickshaw drivers aimlessly drifted about. “We have worked here for 10 years and stay nearby. So, we just came to have a last look at the place,” said Moin.
Forget tea, not even a cup of water was available in the vicinity as all kiosks selling eatables on the premises had closed shop. Most of the airline ticketing counters, barring Kingfisher and Spice Jet, too had closed down.
“Life feels so boring today,” remarked an airline employee.
Top officials were optimistic that the airport would become operational again but the ground reality appeared otherwise.
Caught in the act
The CCTV camera came to the rescue of airport officials to nab an HAL employee who tried to make away with a 24-inch television set and a telephone late on Friday night.
The TV, positioned near the entrance of the ramp where visitors wait to receive their dear ones, displays arrival and departure readings as well as beams TV programmes. Taking advantage of the lack of staff during closing time, the miscreant removed the items.

RELIEF

Motorists had a smooth ride

Bangalore, dhns:

Bikes zoomed past in a hurry while cars smoothly glided on Airport Road on Saturday evening, thanks to the stoppage of flight operations from the HAL airport.
The weekend holiday for the IT crowd too contributed to empty roads.“It has been a sheer relief to work today,” said Manjunath, a constable. “Saturdays generally have lesser crowd than other working days due to the holiday for IT companies and this Saturday has witnessed just 50% of the generally seen traffic. I really enjoyed working today,” he added. An autodriver, along the stretch, Rahmat, said, “I feel the traffic has definitely come down by 40%” due to the closure.” A top official at the Airport traffic police station however appealed for caution.
“I can feel the traffic has come down but let us wait till Monday to know the real picture.” This point was seconded by numerous airport officials, who did not want to be identified. ”The IT crowd heading to ITPL and Marathahalli is not heading to office today. That is the real reason and not the closure of the airport,” the said.