Demonetisation has entered its 19th day, but there's been no change in the currency crisis that has left citizens scurrying from one ATM to another. Though banks remained closed this weekend, no preparations were made to ensure that ATMs were topped up with enough currency.
Manish Singh, resident of Sector 71, Noida, told City Spidey that he visited three ATMs but they were all out of cash. "I spent nearly three hours standing in queue outside the SBI ATM in Atta Market, but money ran out before it was my turn. It was frustrating,” Singh grumbled.
A typical scene outside most ATMs on Sunday morning
Suraj Bhargava, a resident of Sector 15, said he decided to visit the ATMs in the afternoon after witnessing heavy rush in the morning, but by that time all ATMs had "no cash" boards up. He then drove all the way to Shopprix Mall in Sector 61, Noida, but the situation there was no different. He said, "I needed cash urgently. The government should have thought this through — the common man is suffering endlessly."
A closed KVB ATM in Sector 15
Kapil Chaudhary, resident of Sector 122, said, "I supported the government in its efforts, but now I feel differently. The government sprang a surprise, but without enough preparation for the consequences. Common people such as us are having to bear the brunt of his decision." He further added, "The banks are closed this weekend, so the ATMs should have been filled with enough cash. Most ATMs I visited were closed."
Most ATMs had run out of cash by afternoon
