Prices of indigenously made room coolers jacked up by 50pc

With the onset of the summer season, the prices of various types of domestically manufactured room coolers have been jacked up by a sharp 40 to 50 per cent in the open market.

The sales of these locally made cooling machines also increase with the uptick in mercury.

These contraptions are devised to draw wind from a mesh of dried ‘khus’ grass or vetiver which is dampened with water.

Once revered for their cheap prices and low maintenance cost, these machines have now become costlier with the rise in inflation as the prices of Lahori coolers, Chinese coolers, and coolers manufactured by multinational companies using indigenous technology have skyrocketed.

Citizens say purchasing a room cooler is no more a carefree business as it has become extremely difficult for individuals with low-income backgrounds to beat the heat.

The cost of filling dry grass in three pieces of a small Lahori cooler has reached Rs2,700. Last year, the refiling cost only Rs2,000. Similarly, the filling ‘khus’ in a large Lahori room cooler costs Rs3,500, up Rs1,000 as compared to last year. Meanwhile, good quality dry grass is available at Rs 3,800.

Temporary stalls have popped up across the city for replenishing locally-manufactured coolers with vetiver and piles of dried grass can be seen strewn in the nooks and corners of the city.

A survey of the open market suggests that a small-size Lahori room cooler is available at Rs15,000, medium size at Rs25,000, and a large-size room cooler is being sold at Rs35,000.

On the other hand, the price of new Lahori coolers has been decreased by Rs2,000 to Rs3,000 however, small room coolers of Chinese and other national brands are being sold at Rs27,000 and large room coolers at Rs40,000.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 22^nd, 2023.