KOLKATA: With no hope of rain and the maximum temperature pushing 40 degrees Celsius, the demand for air-conditioners and coolers this month surpassed the past couple of years' and retailers logged a sales growth of at least 20%. The heat wave-like condition seemed to have turned these once-luxury gadgets into essential items for many families in the city.
"I had an inverter AC that stopped functioning. When I looked to repair it, the amount turned out to be high. So, I bought a non-inverter AC this summer," said Subodh Majumdar, a resident of Anandapur. Some, like Subhajit Chanda, an IT professional, considers himself lucky that he had bought an AC before the heat spell struck. Even then, the wait for delivery was long. "We were told the delivery of the product would be delayed by three days from the scheduled date," he said.
