COVID-19 Lockdown: Umpire Anil Chaudhary gets mobile tower installed in his village

PTI, Jul 15, 2020, 1:12 PM IST

New Delhi: The cricketers around the world would anxiously wait for his signals but ICC umpire Anil Chaudhary had little inkling that a certain lack of “signal” would affect his work and daily routine.

Once the South Africa ODI series was postponed due to coronavirus pandemic, Chaudhary – one of ICC’s international panel umpires – left for his native village Dangrol in Uttar Pradesh, around 80 km from the national capital.

Much to his amazement, he found villagers climbing up trees to receive a mobile phone network. The lack of connectivity affected some of Chaudhary’s ICC workshops too.

But not anymore. After PTI Bhasha reported Chaudhary’s plight, one telecom company contacted him and installed a mobile tower at his village, solving the connectivity problems of thousands of villagers, who are now showering blessings on the ‘son of the soil’.

“Unlike earlier times, I don’t have to shuttle between Delhi and Dangrol when I would have my video conferences. I am now able to attend workshops from my village home,” a proud Chaudhary told PTI Bhasha.

“I am happy that villagers can now speak uninterrupted and children who need mobile phone access for academic work will get the benefit. When villagers came to show their gratitude, I could understand how big a thing this (having a mobile tower) is for them,” said Chaudhary.