BSS, Rangpur :
The sweeping bone-chilling cold wave continued affecting normal life for the fifth consecutive day today everywhere, including riverine char areas, of all eight districts in the northern region.
The district and upazila administrations have intensified distribution of blankets, allocated by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief in favour of every district administration, among cold-stricken people in the region.
Officials at Rangpur Met Office said the situation remained mostly unchanged during the past 24 hours ending at 6 am as the maximum and minimum temperatures remained between 5.7 degrees and 9.5 degrees Celsius today inthe region.
The country’s lowest temperature of 5.7 degrees Celsius was recorded yesterday against the on Monday’s same of 5.1 degrees Celsius at Tetulia in the sub-Himalayan Panchagarh district.
The situation, however, mostly remained unchanged in Rangpur city where the minimum temperature of 9.5 degrees was recorded today against Monday’s10 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperatures recorded yesterday were 8.4 degrees Celsius at Dinajpur, 8.8 degrees at Syedpur, 8 degrees unchanged at Dimla and 7.8 degrees Celsius at Rajarhat in Kurigram of the region.
Talking to BSS yesterday, District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer of Rangpur ATM Akhteruzzaman said the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief had already allocated over 50,000 pieces of blankets for Rangpur.
“The district and upazila administrations are distributing the allocated blankets among clod-hit people of all eight upazilas, three municipalities and Rangpur City Corporation in the district to mitigate their sufferings,”Akhteruzzaman added.
Deputy Commissioner of Kurigram Sultana Pervin told BSS that the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief already allocated 30,000 pieces of blankets for distribution among cold-hit people of the district.
“We have so far allocated 42,000 pieces of blankets, including our previous stock of 12,000 pieces, in favour of all nine upazila administrations. Distribution of those is progressing fast among cold-stricken people,” she added.
Similarly, the district and upazila administrations of Panchagarh, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat and Gaibandha are distributing the allocated blankets among clod-hit people in their respective jurisdictions. Side by side with the district administrations, different voluntary, professional and socio-cultural organisations and other institutions started distribution of warm clothes among cold-stricken people.
Hospital sources said the number of patients with cough, fever, asthma and other cold and climate change related diseases continued increasing during the past few consecutive days in all eight northern districts under Rangpur division.
Civil Surgeon of Rangpur Dr Abu Md Zakirul Islam said, “We have adequate stocks of medicines in government hospitals, health complexes and other facilities and steps have been taken to provide proper treatments to cold-related patients.”
Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension at its regional office here Khondker Md Mesbahul Islam said the cold weather might affect normal growth of Rabi crop plants if the situation deteriorated
further.
“The farmers should cover Boro rice seedbeds with polythene sheets at nights or remove mists from leaves of growing Boro rice seedling daily in the morning and apply little urea or potash fertilisers on seedbeds if the growing seedlings become yellow,” he said.
