Balapur Ice Factory

Balapur Ice Factory is over on Plot No. 8 in Shoeb Colony. If you know Akola, you know it gets incredibly hot here, so having an ice factory in the neighborhood is pretty much a necessity. We are located right near the B.S.N.L. Exchange building, which is a good landmark if you are trying to find us for the first time. The factory itself isn't much to look at from the outside, just a regular building where we keep the compressors going all day and night. Inside, it's a different world. It’s damp and cold, and there is always that specific smell of freezing water and machinery. We spend our hours moving heavy blocks around and making sure the freezing tanks are doing their job. Shoeb Colony is a quiet enough place, but our gate stays busy with local tempos and rickshaws coming to pick up blocks for the markets or for events. The floor is usually wet, and we all wear heavy boots to keep from slipping. It’s a lot of hard, physical work, especially when the summer peaks and everyone in the district is asking for more ice. We don’t have a fancy office or a big team of secretaries. It’s just us doing the work, checking the gauges, and making sure the ice is solid before it goes out the door. The hum of the plant is something you just get used to after a while.