Kthamandu Dec. 31; The deepening cold has affected the day-to-day life in the Terai, including the Mahottari district. The cold wave that started in the southern part of the district has spread throughout the district. Bardibas, Gaushala and Bhangahasitapur in the north are also under the grip of cold wave.

The minimum temperature has dropped to 11 degrees Celsius because of the cold wind blowing from the west and the absence of sunlight for two days. It has become difficult even to walk due to all-encompassing thick fog. The number of service users in government offices has also decreased.

As common people are unable to work, people are seen making fires by the roadsides. According to local teachers, the classroom attendance of students has started to fall even in community schools. The visibility is not clear even in the afternoon, and the vehicles operate with their headlights on in the highway area.

The biggest impact of bitter cold has started to be seen in the health sector. In Bardibas Hospital, the number of patients with respiratory problems, arthritis, chronic cough, colds, and pneumonia in children is increasing.

According to Krishna Maharjan, the medical superintendent of the hospital, now daily patients with such symptoms number of 30-40. The elderly and children are most affected by asthma, he added.

According to Dr. Shyamsunder Shahi of Shubhaswastik Hospital in Bardibas, children are disproportionately affected by winter.

The number of customers has also decreased in the farmer’s market. The shops wear deserted look with scant peoples’ activities. 

The supply of sugarcane in the sugar mills is also dwindling as fewer workers report to work.

Krishna Chandra Dash, general manager of Everest Sugar Mill in Ram Nagar, said that if the cold wave continues, sugar mills will be devoid of sugarcanes soon. The mill is crushing 36,000 quintals of sugarcane daily and producing about 3,000 quintals of sugar, he added.

“If the cold wave continues, it is likely that crushing and production will be affected,” he said. As the general public has started to be affected by the winter, some helping hands have stepped in. 

The youngsters from the ‘We For All’ campaign in Bardibas have distributed warm clothes to 107 underprivileged families in the city. According to Sagar Phuyal, a participant of the campaign, 70 youths collected Rs. 25,000 and provided to the most vulnerable. 

Manrasiswa Municipality has also distributed blankets, chawanpras and fruits worth Rs. 200,000 to 100 senior citizens above the age of 85 years.

Mayor Mohan Pandey said that “Nyano Sahayog” (warm support) was given to the elderly under the ‘Jeshta Nagarik Samman’ programme of the municipality. Before this, four tractor load of firewood worth more than Rs. 100,000 were distributed to all 10 wards of the Manrasiswa city area.As the winter progresses, Gaushala Municipality has also established a ‘Clothes Bank’.