Under-19 T20 World Cup: In village hit outages, cops fit inverter to help Archana’s kin watch final without interruption
On Sunday morning, people began to gather at bowling all-rounder Archana Devi’s house at Ratai Purwa village in Unnao drict when the final match of the inaugural Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup started.
Before the match began, a team from the Bilhor police station in neighbouring Kanpur drict arrived and fitted an inverter at Archana’s house so that her family members and those gathered there could watch the match without any interruption. The village gets electricity supply for around 15 to 18 hours in a day, locals said.
Archana with her mother outside their house in Ratai Purwa, a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao. (Express Photo)
“People started congratulating us since early morning. In the afternoon, a police team came and installed an inverter here. When the match started, there were around 300 people present in and outside our house. Everyone was discussing and praising Archana,” said Archana’s uncle Hari Prasad (40).
After India won the match, people celebrated the occasion busting crackers and dributing sweets. Archana’s family also went to a near temple to offer players.
Archana Devi (right) with her brother Rohit and mother Savitri Devi (centre) outside their house in Ratai Purwa, a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Unnao drict. (Express Photo)
Youngsters played loud music and dance on it. People from neighbouring villages also came and congratulated her mother Savitri Devi. “We get power supply for around 15 to 18 hours in a day. Coming to know of this, police fitted an inverter so that everyone went to watch the match there. Because of inverter, villagers saw the entire match without any interruption,” said village pradhan Ram Sachey.
Bilhor Station House Officer Surendra Singh said, “(IPS officer) Pankaj Kumar Pandey asked me to make arrangements to install an inverter at Archana’s house. He purchased the inverter online. In the afternoon, I went to Unnao and got the inverter fitted there. There was a huge crowd outside the cricketer’s house.” Pankaj Kumar Pandey is posted at the police headquarter in Lucknow.
