RANGPUR, Jan 03, 2019 (BSS) – The sweeping cold wave coupled with blowing cooler winds continued disrupting public life for the seventh consecutive day in the northern region of the country today, officials and local citizens said.
The situation deteriorated further following little falls in the minimum temperature at most places today causing unbearable sufferings to the commoners in the sub-Himalayan northern region.
The sun remained covered behind clouds, fogs and mists till 9 am at most places making life miserable and forcing farm-labourers to abstain from their activities on croplands and drivers to put headlights of their vehicles on for averting accidents.
However, the situation improved with appearance of the sun after 9 am making life comparatively easier and deteriorated again since the evening amid foggy weather and blowing cooler winds from the north and northwestern directions.
Senior Coordinator (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid said the weather has been behaving peculiarly in recent years as a result of climate change causing uncertainty to every sectors including agriculture.
“Though the sun appeared for few hours around noon, cold bite again increased causing immense sufferings to common people from late afternoon today due reduction of the gap between the minimum and maximum temperature,” he said.
Officials at Rangpur Met Office said the country’s lowest temperature of 5.8 degrees Celsius was recorded today at Tentulia in Panchagarh at 6 am against the yesterday’s lowest of 4.9 degrees Celsius.
In Rangpur city, the minimum temperature of 9.4 degrees Celsius was recorded today against yesterday’s 10 degrees Celsius.
Besides, the minimum temperatures recorded today were 7.5 degrees Celsius at Dinajpur, 8.2 degrees at Syedpur, 8 degrees at Dimla and 7.2 degrees Celsius at Rajarhat point in Kurigram in the northern region.
Civil Surgeon of Rangpur Dr Abu Md Zakirul Islam said the number of pneumonia, fever, diarrhoea, asthma and respiratory problem patients continued to rise today forcing the doctors to remain very busy at all health service facilities.
“The elderly men, women and babies are the worst sufferers, especially in the rural and remote char areas on the river basins,” he said adding adequate steps have been taken to provide proper treatments and medicines to the cold-affected people.
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer ATM Akhteruzzaman of Rangpur said the government has already allocated over 50,000 pieces of blankets and those are being distributed among the cold-stricken poor and distressed people in the district.
Meanwhile, different NGOs, business bodies, charitable and voluntary organisations are also distributing blankets, sweaters, mufflers and rappers among the cold-hit people in the district as well as all over Rangpur region, he added.
According to reports reaching here from the remote areas and char villages in Kurigram, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Rangpur and Nilphamari districts, normal life remained affected everywhere today.