ZCZC
BSS- 21
COLD-WAVE-NORTH (with picture)
Bone-chilling cold wave continues in northern region
RANGPUR, Dec 27, 2019 (BSS) – The bone-chilling sweeping cold wave coupled
with dense fog today forced the people to stay indoors and affected vehicular
movement and husbandry activities in the northern region.
Though distribution of warm clothes has been intensified, unbearable cold
bite exposed to elderly people and minor children to extreme miseries
prompting local authorities to seek extra allocation of warm clothes.
The Met Office sources said minimum temperatures marked little rise by two
to three degrees Celsius while maximum temperatures marked sharp falls by two
to four degrees Celsius during the past 24 hours ending 9 am today.
As a result, the gap between minimum and maximum temperatures reduced to
the minimum causing bone-chilling cold today as the sun remained overcast
with clouds and fog throughout the day.
The minimum temperatures recorded today were 11.5 degrees Celsius at
Rangpur, 9.4 degrees at Dinajpur, 10.5 degrees at Saidpur, 9.2 degrees at
Tentulia, 10 degrees at Dimla and 10.7 degrees Celsius at Rajarhat points in
the region.
In-charge of Rangpur Met Office Mostafizur Rahman said minimum temperature
rose to 2 degrees Celsius to 11.5 degrees Celsius while maximum temperature
dropped by 4.6 degrees Celsius to 18 degrees Celsius today at Rangpur.
“The gap between maximum and minimum temperatures reduced to only 6.5
degrees Celsius at Rangpur causing bone-chilling cold here today,” he added.
Director of Rangpur Medical College Hospital Dr. Shahadat Hossain said
physicians continued to treat huge number of aged people and babies with
cough, fever, asthma and other cold-related diseases today at the hospital.
Meanwhile, the district administrations, NGOs, voluntary, socio-cultural
and charitable organisations, business bodies and other institutions have
intensified distribution of warm clothes among the cold-stricken people to
mitigate the sufferings.
Deputy Commissioner of Rangpur Mohammad Asib Ahsan said distribution of
about 70,000 pieces of blankets allocated by the government continues among
cold- hit people in the district.
Talking to BSS, Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md. Zakir
Hossain said distribution of some 3.96-lakh pieces of blankets received so
far from the government were distributed among cold-stricken people of all
eight districts in Rangpur division.
“Besides, the process of distribution of 8,000 packets of dry foods
allocated the government among the cold-affected people of these eight
northern districts in Rangpur division continues,” he added.
“The administrations of all eight districts in the division will send
letters to the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief on Sunday next
seeking more allocation of warm clothes for distribution among cold-hit
people,” he added.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension at its regional
office Md. Moniruzzaman said field level agriculture officers are assisting
farmers in taking care of growing Rabi crop plants, including Boro seedlings,
to save those from cold bite .
BSS/SPL/MI/SKB/1913 hrs