Cold wave continues, affecting normal life in northern districts

Although the minimum temperatures remained mostly unchanged and maximum temperatures increased slightly, the mild cold wave blowing over the northern region continued affecting normal life for the third consecutive day today (25 December).
 
The sky remained partly cloudy and misty till noon with cold winds blowing from the west and northwest. 
 
The suffering of the poor people living in the riverbank and char areas of the Brahmaputra basin remained deplorable today, as it has been for the past few days.
 
The cold forced many people to stay indoors, and business and normal activities were partially affected until the sun shone for a few hours in the afternoon, breaking through a layer of thick fog in the cool air.
 
Officer-in-Charge of Rangpur Meteorological Office, Md Mostafizar Rahman, said that the minimum temperatures remained mostly unchanged with a little rise at places, while maximum temperatures marked a rise today.
 
However, the intensity of cold remained almost unchanged in the region.
 
"Although the gap between the minimum and maximum temperatures increased slightly compared to yesterday, it is still feeling cold for the third consecutive day," he said.
  
The minimum temperature of 11.2 degrees Celsius was recorded at 6am today, against yesterday's 12.2 degrees and maximum of 20 degrees against yesterday's 17.5 degrees Celsius at Rangpur city.
 
The minimum temperatures recorded at 6am today were 10.6 degrees Celsius at Tentulia, 10.5 degrees Celsius at Dinajpur, 10.5 degrees at Syedpur, 11 degrees at Dimla, 11.5 degrees at Rajarhat, 10.7 degrees at Thakurgaon and 11.8 degrees Celsius at Gaibandha points, while the maximum temperatures recorded at 3pm today were 22.9 degrees Celsius at Tentulia, 22 degrees at Dinajpur, 18.6 degrees at Dimla, 17 degrees at Rajarhat, 21.8 degrees at Thakurgaon and 21.2 degrees Celsius at Gaibandha points in the region.
 
Sources at different district-level hospitals said that the number of patients with cough, fever, asthma and other cold and climate change-related diseases has been increasing again during the past couple of days in the northern region.
 
Rangpur Divisional Director (Health) Dr Md Gausul Azim Chowdhury said there are adequate stocks of medicines and steps have been taken in all government hospitals and upazila health complexes to provide proper treatments to cold-related patients. 
 
The district administrations, a few NGOs, voluntary and socio-cultural organisations, business bodies, banks and other institutions have started distributing warm clothes among the cold-stricken people to mitigate their sufferings. 
 
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) of Rangpur, Md Golam Kibri, said distribution of warm clothes continues among the cold-hit distressed people in the district as elsewhere in the sub-Himalayan region.
 
"We have got allocations of 7,500 pieces of blankets in two phases and Tk48 lakh to purchase warm cloths locally for distribution among the cold-hit people in all eight upazilas in Rangpur district," he added.
 
"Like the other northern districts of Rangpur division, we have also received 7,500 pieces of blankets and Tk54 lakh for purchasing warm clothes locally and distributing among the cold-hit people," Kurigram DRRO Md Abdul Matin told BSS.
  
More allocations of money and blankets are expected soon for every cold-hit district in the region.
 
Reports from remote areas say that the normal lives of the poor people living in the riverine char areas of Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and other adjoining northern districts in the Brahmaputra basin are being disrupted.