GAIBANDHA, Jan 7, 2020 (BSS) – The intensity of cold wave with dense fog
has increased due to decreasing the temperature today paralyzing the normal
life in the urban and rural areas of the district.
Chilly wind barreling from Himalayas intensifies cold wave, making lives
especially the homeless and the char people of the district miserable and
intolerable.
According to Rangpur met office, the lowest temperature was recorded in
Rangpur 9.50 degrees Celsius at 9 am today and the temperature was recorded
in Rangpur 11.00 degrees Celsius on Monday morning.
The intensity of chill is felt before sunrise and after sunset. Commuters
are facing troubles in getting vehicles particularly tempo, rickshaw and van
as the presence of the vehicles on roads and bus stands are very thin.
The cold wave victims are mostly babies, children and the aged people from
poor and low income families living in the straw huts and fragile dwellings.
Poor people particularly farmers and day laborers are the worst sufferers
as they can’t work in the field due to severe cold wind.
They are crowding to the shops of second hand warm clothes and buying
those at high prices as the shop owners have increased the prices of all warm
clothes due to heavy demand.
Many of the destitute are trying to combat this bone chilling cold through
heat generated by burning heap of straw and old rubber tires. Animals in
sheds are shrouded with old sacks.
As the chilling weather has aggravated due to falling temperature, the
residents of sandy char areas on the Brahamaputra and the Teesta River basins
are facing its severe impact.
Lal Miah of Barobaldia village under Sadarupazila said he cannot go to the
filed due to cold wave and dense fog.
Chairman of Mollarchar union parishad of the district M. Abdul Hai said
the char dwellers of the union are the worst sufferers as they are facing
bone chilling cold during the winter season.
District relief and rehabilitation officer AKM Idris Ali said they had got
56,000 blankets from the Ministry of Relief this year and all of them had
been disbursed to the distressed people through the district and upazila
administrations including local government bodies.
Talking to the BSS, deputy commissioner Abdul Matin said he had sent a
letter to the ministry concerned seeking more blankets for the distressed
people of the district.
However, the cold hit people urged the government and other socio-cultural
organizations including well off section of the society to distribute warm
clothes to cold victims to mitigate their sufferings.