The second day of the much-anticipated 49th Chennai Book Fair was marred by significant technical difficulties, with a majority of visitors struggling to gain entry due to persistent network problems. The mandatory online registration process, a free but compulsory step for entry, failed for an estimated six out of every ten attendees on Friday, leading to frustration and long queues.
Registration Process Hits a Digital Wall
Organized by the Book Sellers and Publishers Association of South India (BAPASI), the fair requires all visitors to register by scanning a QR code and providing their name and mobile number. Volunteers were stationed at all nine entry points to assist with this process. However, what was promised as a one-minute task turned into a lengthy ordeal for many.
K Shekhar, one of the affected visitors, shared his experience, stating that despite trying for five minutes, the registration website simply would not load. The volunteers, armed with smartphones and tablets, were often unable to explain the reason for the technical lag, pointing to a communication gap with the main organizers.
Improvised Solutions and Fresh Complaints
As complaints mounted, volunteers resorted to a manual workaround, taking down visitors' names and numbers on paper and allowing them inside. While this provided temporary relief, it sparked a new wave of discontent. Visitors reported being redirected from one entry booth to another in a confusing manner.
BAPASI member S Shankar clarified that this redirection was a strategy to ensure an even flow of visitors to all stalls across the fairgrounds. This explanation, however, did not sit well with the public. Gita Rani, a resident of Mylapore, expressed her displeasure, arguing that once inside, visitors should have the freedom to explore as they wish, and such forced routing only wasted precious time.
Organizers Acknowledge the Glitch, Promise Fix
Confronted with the widespread issue, a member of the BAPASI organizing committee admitted to the network failures. Guru, who was posted at the helpline office, confirmed that the association had alerted their network providers about the recurring errors. "We had alerted the network providers. This will be fixed in the coming days," he assured.
The incident highlights the challenges of managing large-scale public events reliant on digital systems. With several days of the fair still to go, all eyes will be on whether the technical infrastructure can hold up to the crowd's enthusiasm, ensuring a smoother experience for book lovers in Chennai.
