Colder days ahead; poor feel it worse

KATHMANDU, DEC 18 -
Meteorologists have forecast onset of cold wave in the Tarai districts within the next couple of days.

Present weather system is showing signs of drop in day and night temperatures along with the advancement of cold air spreading across the country, said Shanti Kandel, a meteorologist at the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD).

The drop in temperatures is usually recorded between the periods from the last week of December to the first week of January in the country. Some Tarai districts have been experiencing foggy and misty mornings for the past few days, and that severe cold wave is expected to sweep across the areas within a week period, affecting the daily life, said Kandel.

Impoverished families are hard hit by cold wave, as they do not have warm clothes, blankets and heating facility.Every year, several people die of hypothermia during the winter.

Jagadev Ram,72, of Bhawanipur VDC-8 in Parsa sleeps in hay bed because he cannot afford to buy a mattress and a blanket. He has a large family of 17. Winter is an ordeal for the entire family members. They try to beat the cold by huddling around fire. There are around 30 Dalit families just like Jagdev’s in Parsa district who have inadequate clothes and beddings to keep them warm during winter.

Meanwhile, a young girl reportedly died of hypothermia at Sapahi-2 in Bara on Tuesday. She was found dead under a tree. Police said the victim may have died of severe cold . Her body was taken to District Hospital for postmortem.

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