RANGPUR, Jan 1, 2019 (BSS) – The sweeping bone-chilling cold wave continued
affecting normal life for the fifth consecutive day today everywhere,
including riverine char areas, of all eight districts in the northern region.
The district and upazila administrations have intensified distribution of
blankets, allocated by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in
favour of every district administration, among cold-stricken people in the
region.
Officials at Rangpur Met Office said the situation remained mostly
unchanged during the past 24 hours ending at 6 am as the maximum and minimum
temperatures remained between 5.7 degrees and 9.5 degrees Celsius today in
the region.
The country’s lowest temperature of 5.7 degrees Celsius was recorded today
against the yesterday’s same of 5.1 degrees Celsius at Tetulia in the sub-
Himalayan Panchagarh district.
The situation, however, mostly remained unchanged in Rangpur city where
the minimum temperature of 9.5 degrees was recorded today against yesterday’s
10 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperatures recorded today were 8.4 degrees Celsius at
Dinajpur, 8.8 degrees at Syedpur, 8 degrees unchanged at Dimla and 7.8
degrees Celsius at Rajarhat in Kurigram of the region.
Talking to BSS today, District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer of
Rangpur ATM Akhteruzzaman said the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief
had already allocated over 50,000 pieces of blankets for Rangpur.
“The district and upazila administrations are distributing the allocated
blankets among clod-hit people of all eight upazilas, three municipalities
and Rangpur City Corporation in the district to mitigate their sufferings,”
Akhteruzzaman added.
Deputy Commissioner of Kurigram Sultana Pervin told BSS that the Ministry
of Disaster Management and Relief already allocated 30,000 pieces of blankets
for distribution among cold-hit people of the district.
“We have so far allocated 42,000 pieces of blankets, including our
previous stock of 12,000 pieces, in favour of all nine upazila
administrations. Distribution of those is progressing fast among cold-
stricken people,” she added.
Similarly, the district and upazila administrations of Panchagarh,
Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha are distributing
the allocated blankets among clod-hit people in their respective
jurisdictions.
Side by side with the district administrations, different voluntary,
professional and socio-cultural organisations and other institutions started
distribution of warm clothes among cold-stricken people.
Hospital sources said the number of patients with cough, fever, asthma and
other cold and climate change related diseases continued increasing during
the past few consecutive days in all eight northern districts under Rangpur
division.
Civil Surgeon of Rangpur Dr Abu Md Zakirul Islam said, “We have adequate
stocks of medicines in government hospitals, health complexes and other
facilities and steps have been taken to provide proper treatments to cold-
related patients.”
Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension at its
regional office here Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said the cold weather might
affect normal growth of Rabi crop plants if the situation deteriorated
further.
“The farmers should cover Boro rice seedbeds with polythene sheets at
nights or remove mists from leaves of growing Boro rice seedling daily in the
morning and apply little urea or potash fertilisers on seedbeds if the
growing seedlings become yellow,” he said.