Increasing cold affects life in Tarai-Madhesh

Mahottari, December 10 — Cold wind coupled with dense fog cover has increased cold in the Madhes region, including in Mahottari. Continuous drop in mercury since last week has affected the normal life of the people in the region.

The farmers are not able to work in the fields due to the cold conditions. "We have to prepare the fields for broadcasting wheat and also cut down the sugarcane. We have not been able to go out of the house due to extreme cold at a time of sowing the winter crops," said Thakai Mahato of Bardibas-13.

The farmers are worried that they would not be able to complete the farming works like preparing the fields, harvesting sugarcane and others in time as they have not been able to work due to the biting cold.

The fog used to occur normally from the third week of December, but it has started occurring from around beginning of December since some years, said 75-year-old Rahiman Mandal, a farmer from Jaleshwar-5. Farmers have also not been able to take their cattle out for grazing due to the intense cold.

Hira Devi Dahal of Ramnagar, Bhangaha-4, said that the cattle are falling sick die to the increasing cold. Children, elderly people, pregnant women and new mothers have been affected the most by the cold, said Dr Sudip Thakur, the Medical Superintendent of Bardibas Hospital.

Various social organisations have urged the local governments to take initiative for managing warm clothes, foodstuff, and firewood and logs for organizing bonfires to protect the vulnerable people living in shanties and Dalit settlements.

Similarly, Suman Kumar Lal Karna, Head of the District Coordination Committee Mahottari, has urged all the 15 local levels and the District Disaster Relief Committee to observe precaution and make necessary preparation to prevent casualties resulting from cold.

Similarly, cold has escalated in various districts of the eastern Tarai region with the occurrence of cold wind and fog. There is only faint sunshine during the day while foggy conditions prevail in the morning since a week back, signaling the start of the cold wave in the eastern Tarai.

The Meteorological Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has forecast gradual drop in mercury in the coming days, resulting in increase in cold. The Division stated that fog has started to occur in the central, Midwestern and eastern Tarai-Madhes districts.