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Cold wave cripples normal life in northern region

Published : Sunday, 14 January, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 167
Our Correspondents
Cold wave has been sweeping over northern districts of the country including Panchagarh, Pabna, Naogaon and Joypurhat for the last few days, paralysing normal life.

The cold is felt severely. It is being accompanied by chilly wind and dense fog.  

Misty dew is falling like rain since dawn. Stone-lifters, tea workers, day-labourers, and other working-class people are suffering. Their daily earnings have decreased.

 They are living hard with their families.

PANCHAGARH: Tentulia Upazila of the district has got into cold wave again.

The upazila town has been under strong cold due to heavy fog and cold wind. This situation has been prevailing for almost one week.

Low-income people, children and elderly people are getting affected by the severe cold. On January 13, the temperature was recorded at 9.3 degrees Celsius at 9 am while 11.9 degree Celsius was recorded on Friday.

In a compelling condition, low-income people are going to works ignoring the biting cold. They are also not getting necessary warm clothes.

A stone worker Feroza Khatun said, "If there is fog, there is nothing to do, brother. We are poor people. Cold will not give rice in the stomach. I could not work for the last two days. Today (Jan 13) I was forced to go to work. If I work, I can fill my stomach with rice."

Day-labourer Aynal Haque said, "It is very cold. But what can we do? My family runs on my daily wage. So I am going to work in the fog and cold. If I don work, how can we survive?"

Ali Hasan, a van driver, said, "No one wants to run van in the fog. I can pay the daily rent for several days. Yesterday (Jan 12) I earned only Tk 50 for the whole day. Is this earning enough to run a family?"

Children and elderly people are getting affected by different cold diseases including pneumonia, asthma, tough breath and diarrhoea. Cold patients are being treated outdoor in district and upazila hospitals. Besides treatment, doctors are giving various suggestions to cure the cold diseases.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the districts first-class meteorological observatory, Rusel Shah, said, Panchagarh is being covered in thick fog since early morning. The sun has not been visible for almost a week.

The cold wind is blowing from afternoon. The severity of winter increases due to the wind blowing from north-east or north-west direction.

Deputy Commissioner Md Zahurul Islam said, Panchagarh is a winter-prone district. Being at the foothill of the Himalayas, winter is more frequent here.

A total of 28,000 blankets were received from the Prime Ministers Relief Fund.

"We have distributed these blankets among poor, needy and destitute people. Besides, various private and voluntary organizations are continuing to distribute winter clothes," he added.

PABNA: The life-crippling cold has been prevailing in the district for the last three days.

People living in open and public spaces, such as bus and railway stations, and daily labourers and slum-dwellers are most vulnerable to the cold wave. They cannot afford warm clothes.

The overall temperature may slightly rise and last for three/four days, said the official, adding, another spell of cold wave may sweep over the country at that time.

The cold spell has triggered cold-related diseases including pneumonia, asthma and respiratory complications.
 
Pabna Civil Surgeon Dr Thasin Aziz said, the number of pneumonia and diarrhoeal patients, mostly elderly people and children, continues to increase due to the bone-chilling cold wave in the sub-Himalayan region in the last week.

Day-labourers are not going out for works. Rickshaw-pullers and people of low-income group are not going to work amid the extreme cold.

The country has experienced the lowest temperature of the winter season on Thursday night as the mercury level dropped to 8 degrees Celsius at Ishwardi.

DHAMOIRHAT, NAOGAON: Men and animals are facing biting cold in Dhamoirhat Upazila of the district.

The cold wave has been prevailing in the upazila for the last four days.  The sun is remaining invisible for the whole day. Amid thick fog, the normal life has come to a standstill.

Low-income people are suffering mostly. Some blankets have been distributed at the government and private levels. But these are inadequate than the demand.

Without any need, people are not coming out of their houses. Children and elderly people are getting affected by different cold diseases. Cattle can graze in fields amid the cold.

Agriculture labourers are planting IRRI-Boro saplings facing strong cold. They are trying to keep warmed by making fire with straw.

Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr Swapon Kumar Biswas said, all necessary measures have been taken in the upazila health complex for the cold disease patients.

Already common people and clinic have been made aware about cold diseases like pneumonia, diarrhoea and fever.
 
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Asma Khatun said, 3,690 blankets have been distributed among cold-affected people in eight unions and one municipality in the upazila.

More allocation of blankets have been approached, and if get these will be distributed soon, he added.

On Friday at 9am, 10.7 degree Celsius temperature was recorded in the upazila.

Assistant Meteorological Officer of Bodolgachhi Agriculture Office Md Mizanur Rahman said, the prevailing cold may continue for few more days.

JOYPURHAT: The sun has not been visible for the last three days in the district due to bone-chilling cold causing public sufferings.

The life of common and day-earning people has come to a standstill. Amid dense fog, public movement has decreased in the upazila town. On Friday at 9am, the lowest 10.2 degree Celsius temperature was recorded in the district.

The Department of Agriculture Extension  advised farmers to cover their Boro seedbeds to protect from cold injury, throwing ashes and irrigating hot water.  

Supervisor of District Modern Hospital Dr Rashed Mobarak Jewel said, different cold disease patients are increasing.

Poor people were seen crowding Railway Hawkers Market to purchase warm clothes at cheaper prices.  In the last 24 hours, 42 patients including children were admitted into the Child Ward.

Residential Medical Officer Dr Shahid Hossain said, they advised children not to go out and drink hot water.

District Relief , Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Officer Abdul Karim said, in five upazilas of the district,  15,150 warm clothes were distributed in the first phase while, in the second phase, 4,070 warm clothes are being distributed, he added.

Besides, different social organisations are distributing blankets among the distressed people, the official maintained.



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