Bone-chilling cold shakes northern region
The bone-chilling cold coupled with thick fogs is forcing people to stay inside of houses for the second consecutive day today hampering normal activities in Rangpur, reports BSS.
Officials at Rangpur Met Office said the temperature marked further decline during the last 24 hours ending at 6 am.
In-charge of Rangpur Met Office Mohammad Ali said the minimum temperature 7.5 degrees celsius was recorded today against yesterday's 10 degrees at Rangpur city.
The minimum temperatures were recorded today 5.1 degrees celsius against Yesterday’s 7.4 degrees at Dinajpur, 7.2 degrees against yesterday's 8.5 degrees at Syedpur, 8.2 degrees against yesterday's 10.2 degrees at Dimla and 7 degrees against yesterday's 10 degrees celsius at Rajarhat.
Local residents said the cold wave hampering normal activities of common people and thus presence in offices, factories as well as educational institutions is thin today. The extreme weather has also aggravated sufferings of the people living in char areas of Brahmaputra basin, they added.
Physicians at different hospitals and upazila health complexes said people especially children and old-aged citizens have been coming to them with cold-related diseases including cough, fever and asthma for the last couple of days.
“Stock of medicines is adequate, said Divisional Deputy Director (Health) Dr Mozammel Hossain,” adding that steps were taken at the government-run health facilities in all eight districts and 58 upazilas under Rangpur division for providing healthcare facilities to cold-related patients.
The district administrations, NGOs, voluntary, professional, socio-cultural and charitable organisations, business bodies, banks and other institutions have intensified distribution of warm clothes among the cold-stricken people to mitigate their sufferings.
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer of Rangpur Md Faridul Haque said distribution of warm clothes is continued among the cold-hit distressed people in the district as elsewhere in the sub-Himalayan northern region.
“We have got allocations of 54,700 pieces of blankets from the ministry concerned and Prime Minister's Relief Fund so far and already completed distribution of those among the cold-hit people in all eight upazilas in Rangpur,” he said.
He also hoped that the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief would soon allocate more warm clothes as the district administration earlier sought allocation of one lakh pieces of blankets for the poorer section of people.
Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said the prevailing weather might affect normal growth of winter crop plants including potato and Boro seedbeds, if the situation further prolonged for the days to come.
