Cold cripples normal life in middle-east Tarai

There has been no sunshine in Mahottari since January 11 with thick fog occurring most of the time. The cold wind and frost that has been occurring continuously has exacerbated the cold weather, forcing the people to stay indoors.

“The vegetables in the field have wilted away due to the cold. Tomatoes are decaying on the plants. Beans, peas and legumes have also withered,” said Mahendra Singh Kushwaha, a vegetable farmer at Pashupatinagar, Bardibas Municipality-9 in the district.

Like Kushwaha, many vegetable farmers in the area are worried about the loss of vegetables due to the intense cold weather.

The cold snap has not only affected the vegetable crops, but has also taken its toll on the livestock, especially the milch cows and buffaloes. “Neither can we go out and collect green grass and fodder for the animals nor can we take them out for grazing,” bemoaned Hiradevi Dahal, a farmer of Ramnagar, Bhangaha Municipality in the district.

She has seven buffaloes, a cow and calves to look after and says she has not been able to collect grass and foliage for them for the last one week due to the intense cold weather.

Movement of people and other activities in the market has also drastically reduced with a constant increase in the cold condition.

Meanwhile, the number of patients has also increased in several settlements due to the persistent cold. The number of patients suffering from asthma, cough and arthritis has drastically gone up.

The underprivileged older people, infants and new mothers are the hardest hit or are at risk from cold, said Dr Bidhan Chandra Jha, medical superintendent at Bardibas Hospital.

Republica