Sweeping cold spell affects normal life in N-dists

RANGPUR, Dec 15 (BSS): The sweeping mild cold wave coupled with cooler winds, fogs and clouds affected normal life in the northern districts adding untold sufferings to the people for the third consecutive day today. The situation deteriorated following sharp falls in both minimum and maximum temperatures by two to seven degrees Celsius reducing gaps between them to only 7 to 10 degrees at most places during the past 24 hours ending at 6 am today. The situation worsened today when gap between minimum and maximum temperatures reduced further as the minimum temperatures ranged between 9.2 and 11.7 degrees this morning and the maximum between 16.8 and 21.4 degrees on Wednesday afternoon. The Met Office recorded minimum temperatures of 9.7 degrees Celsius this morning against yesterday's 12 at Rangpur, 10.5 degrees against yesterday's 11.5 degrees at Dinajpur and 10.2 degrees today against yesterday's 11.6 degrees at Syedpur. The minimum temperature of 11.7 degrees Celsius was recorded this morning against yesterday's 11.8 degrees at Bogra, 9.2 degrees against yesterday's 10.4 degrees at Ishwardi and 9.5 degrees today against yesterday's 12.2 degrees at Rajshahi. On Wednesday afternoon, the maximum temperatures recorded were 16.8 degrees Celsius at Rangpur, 17.2 degrees at Dinajpur, 17 degrees at Syedpur, 17.6 degrees at Bogra, 21.4 degrees at Iswardi and 19.8 degrees Celsius at Rajshahi. The biting cold forced thousands to stay indoor affecting businesses, office and normal activities for the third consecutive day today as the sun remained mostly covered by fogs and clouds amid blowing cooler winds. The administrations have intensified distribution of warm clothes among the distressed cold-hit people to mitigate their sufferings, District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer of Rangpur Mokhlesur Rahman today told BSS. The administrations have so far distributed 33,542 pieces blankets allocated by the government in the first-phase among the cold-hit people of eight districts under Rangpur division and more allocations are awaited now. The number of people seen out of their houses on urgent needs at the bazaars, markets, offices, institutions, bus stands and rails stations, was the lowest today and sufferings of the low income-group people mounted further. Reports from the remote areas said sufferings of thousands of people living in the sandy char villages in Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Bogra and Sirajganj districts on the Brahmaputra basin aggravated today. The number of cold- related patients increased sharply during the past three days in these districts making older, children and babies the worst sufferers, concerned hospital sources and physicians said.