After a little respite for couple of days, severity of the season’s second spell of cold wave worsened on Monday affecting normal life in northern districts of the country.
According to official sources, severity of cold forced thousands to stay indoors affecting businesses and normal activities as the sun remained covered by fog and clouds throughout the day amid blowing cooler winds.
The situation deteriorated causing bone-chilling cold following sharp falls in the minimum and maximum temperatures in last 24 hours ending at 4:00pm reducing the gap between the two temperatures to only 5 to 10 degree Celsius.
The minimum temperatures ranged between 9.6 to 11.7 degree Celsius and maximum between 16 to 20 degree Celsius today making common life miserable and affecting activities of day-and farm-labourers in the northern districts.
Met Office sources said the minimum temperature of 11 degree Celsius was recorded at 6 am and maximum of 16 degree at 4 pm today at Rangpur against yesterday’s 13 degree and 19.2 degree Celsius respectively.
Similarly, the minimum temperatures recorded today were 9.6 degree Celsius at Rajarhat, 10.8 degree Syedpur and 11.7 degree at Dinajpur, 11.6 degree at Dimla and 10.4 degree Celsius at Tentulia monitoring points today.
The administrations, affluent people, trade bodies, banks, voluntary, socio-cultural and charitable organisations and NGOs have further intensified distribution of warm clothes among cold-hit people to mitigate their sufferings.
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) for Rangpur ATM Akhteruzzaman said the government has so far allocated 69,890 pieces of blankets, 4,000 packets of dry foods, Taka 10-lakh for warm clothes, Taka two-lakh for baby clothes and Taka one-lakh for baby foods for the cold-affected people of the district.
“We have already distributed 97,190 pieces of blankets and 3,300 packets of dry foods among cold-stricken people as purchase and distribution of warm clothes, baby clothes and baby foods are continuing,” he said.
Divisional Director (Health) Dr Mostafa Khaled Ahmed said adequate steps have been taken in all district, upazila and union level health service facilities to provide proper treatments to increasing number of cold-related patients.
“The physicians are conducting their duties round the clock in all hospitals and other health service facilities in Rangpur division,” he added.
Senior Coordination (Agriculture and Environment) of RDRS Bangladesh Mamunur Rashid said the cold wave situation deteriorated sharply today causing immense sufferings to common people.
“If the situation continues for a few more days, normal growth of crop plants can be stranded following failure in preparing their adequate foods as the photosynthesis process could be hampered due to extreme cold and lack of sunlight,” he said.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension at its regional office here Agriculturist Md Moniruzzaman said agriculture officers are assisting farmers in nursing growing crop plants and Boro rice seedlings to save those from the cold injuries, reports BSS.