Sunday | 10 November 2024 | Reg No- 06
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Sunday | 10 November 2024 | Epaper

Heatwave cripples normal life in districts

Children suffer from diarrhoea; Boro fields damaged

Published : Thursday, 20 April, 2023 at 12:00 AM  Count : 396
The heatwave flowing over the districts including Bogura, Chuadanga, Meherpur, Moulvibazar and Naogaon causes  immense suffering to the people of the country.

In addition to frequent electricity load-shedding and suffocating heatwave, the people, particularly children are suffering from diarrhoea and dehydration.   

The heat stress also damaged milky Boro crops in the districts.

BOGURA: The heatwave has been prevailing in the district for the last one week.

Within one week, the temperature was recorded between 38 degree Celsius and 42 degree Celsius in the district.
 
Agriculture officials are apprehending jeopardy in their Boro production due to severe heat.

After dawn the sun is turning harsh and hot. Under the scorching heat, labour class people are running after daily works for survival. But they are hiccupping amid severe warming.

Dr Md Shah Kamal Khan, director of C-BWCSRP project of the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE), said, amid the severe heat wave, Boro fields are drying up. The temperature fluctuation on the basis of night and day is likely to cause elliptical spot, locally Chita disease, to Boro paddy fields, he added.

The the DAE in a circular said, the moderate heat wave is flowing over several districts of the country. Before paddy grains gain maturity, 12-3 inch water must be kept in the Boro fields.

Fasting people in the district are suffering. The air pollution is on the rise because of scarcity of rain.

Sneezing, coughing, fever, and tough breath are reported.

To get relieved of severe heat, fasting people are thronging watermelon outlets. In this situation, watermelon price is going up. The watermelon price has increased to Tk 50 per kilogram (kg) from Tk 20 one week back.

CHUADANGA: All classes of people including poor and ultra-poor people, and workers are seriously suffering from excessive heatwave sweeping over the district.  

A 42.2 degree Celsius temperature was recorded on Apr 15 at 3 pm.  Besides, for the last 10 consecutive days, the country's highest temperature was prevailed in the district.

 The heatwave   and heat wind crippled people's life. The district meteorology office recorded the highest temperature of the district at  41.7 and 42 degree Celsius in three days.

 Zaminur Rahman,  district meteorology officer-Chuadanga, said, the  temperature may remain unchanged  in coming days in the district and may also go up.

At noon the total district town is seen deserted.  People are thinly going out of their houses on urgent needs including  Eid-ul- Fitre shopping.

 Many market  goers are suffering immensely as they have to wait for a long time for vehicles. The presence of vehicles is very thin on roads.

Sellers are passing their worry-time seeing poor customer arrival. "We don't see satisfactory customers ahead of Eid. Customers are not coming.

Rickshaw-pullers and van-pullers are passing tough time due to lack of passengers. They were seen sitting on their vans under trees.

 "I have a poor income. It is not enough to afford my family food need. I cannot run my vehicle well in such weather '' said rickshaw-puller Khokon Mia, a dweller of Chuadanga    Mahalla College Para in the district town.   
 
 Children and elderly people have been affected by heat-caused diseases, such as diarrhoea, dysentery and jaundice. Heat stroke was also reported.

Dr Waliur Rahman,  senior consultant of Chuadanga Sadar Hospital,  said, "In such weather, we should not go out without an urgent need and drink huge water or juice and green coconut water. We must take extra care about our health to keep our health good."

Per piece medium-sized watermelon is selling at Tk 80 against Tk 50-60 taka before three days. Big sized watermelon is selling at Th 250-300 per piece. Seasonal traders are taking the advantage of heatwave.

Deputy Commissioner Md Aminul Islam  Hhan called upon all not to go out without an urgent need.  

MEHERPUR: Normal life is hampered in the district due to severe heatwave and disgusting load-shedding.

A draught-like situation has been prevailing in the district.  The heat stress intensifies every day in the extreme climate-prone district with no sign of rainfall. The intolerable heatwave now sweeping over the district has not only been affecting the district dwellers but also the crops and other vegetation.  Business and economic activities are harming day-labourers, rickshaw pullers, van-pullers and other working class people in different fields.

Now the paddy harvesting period in Meherpur is facing trouble due to lack of day-labourers.  In some places, it was seen labourers were going to paddy fields after having Sehri this Ramadan. They are coming back from fields within 10 am. The condition of domestic animals is bad to worse.

The hot spell has been continuing in this district for over one month, making roads deserted in the day time. People who are in urgent need are seen on the roads. Eid shopping is going on slowly with a little presence of customers.

According to hospital sources, at least 15 persons and 20 children are being hospitalised daily with dehydration and respiratory problems amid the heatwave.

KAMALGANJ, MOULVIBAZAR:  The upazila witnessed rainfall in the beginning of Ramadan. But for the last 10-12 days, it has been undergoing a burning type of warming severity. The temperature was fluctuating from 35 degree Celsius to 40 degree. On Sunday, the local the temperature was recorded at 39.4 degree Celsius.

Despite paralysing condition by the heat wave, a visit found Eid buying going on in full swing.  

The load-shedding is hampering household works, business and banking and other official activities in the upazila. People are hiccupping elsewhere.

Senior Principal Officer of Sonali Bank Branch-Shamshernagar Ripon Mazumdar said, ahead of the Eid, the presence of customers and trading have gone up. "In this situation, we are experiencing one hour load-shedding thrice a day. During the load time, we have to run generator in a compelling condition. We have to pay extra petrol bill," he added.

A clothe trader Santosh Dev said, the frequent load-shedding is causing suffering to both traders and customers.

Amid the severe warming, both demand and sale of watermelon have increased in markets. Taking these as advantages, traders are charging higher prices of the summer fruit. A small-sized watermelon is selling at Tk 200 while a little big sized one at Tk 300-400.

Kamalganj Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer Dr M Mahbubul Alam Bhuiya said, due to the heat wave, children may get affected by pneumonia while adults by respiratory disease. For the last two/three days, the diarrhoea has appeared in different areas. But the diarrhoeal condition is not alarming, he added.

Sreemangal Weather Observatory Office's Monitor Anisur Rahman said, on Sunday noon 38.4 degree Celsius temperature was recorded at Sreemangal. This temperature condition will continue for four/five more days, he added.

Deputy Manager of Kamalganj Zonal Office of Palli Bidyut Samiti Engineer Golam Faruq Mir said, it needs 12 megawatt (mw) electricity at the pick time in the upazila, whereas only 5mw is being supplied. So in a compelling situation, one-hour load-shedding is being maintained after each two-hour.

If the electricity supply is increased and there is rainfall, the heat stress will decrease, he added.

PORSHA, NAOGAON: Both public life and Boro crop are getting jeopardised in Porsha Upazila of the district amid staggering heatwave.

The frequent load-shedding causing severe electricity disruption is hampering Boro paddy fields in the upazila.
 
All classes of people including day-earning ones are suffering mostly. They can't join their usual income-earning works. This Ramadan most people are passing days in hardship.

Besides, drinking water crisis is prevailing in different areas. In the absence of rainfall for a long time, surface water bodies have got dried up. Groundwater layer fall has been reported in most areas.

The public has been crippled amid the drought-like situation. The severe drought is causing a burning to green coverage including the crop in the upazila under Barind bloc.

Official activities are hampered. The plight of the wage-earning people is higher. They have to continue works despite the unbearable heat wave.

Rajshahi Weather Office sources said, until rainfall the heatwave will continue. Ring-wells have also got dried up in many areas of the upazila. Mortars have been installed in different areas, which have caused to the drying of ring-wells.

Boro irrigation is halted due to the ground water shortage. Boro production fall is apprehended.

While talking with this correspondent of The Daily Observer, local farmers said, their Boro fields are in need of additional irrigation on the basis of drought-hit areas. The Boro farming cost is going up. At the same time, the irrigation activities are hampered due to frequent load-shedding. "We never saw such drought before," they added.

Upazila Public Health Officer Milon Kumar said, there are 3,739 deep and shallow tube-wells in the upazila. These are used in making 99 per cent irrigation while remaining one per cent is used as drinking water.

In the last three years, Public Health Department installed 1,200 deep tube-wells having 150-500-foot layers at the union level. In some areas, layers range from 300-350 foot. The water from these is used for drinking.

Upazila Agriculture Officer Sanjoy Kumar Sarkar said, this season, Boro has been cultivated on 8,170 hectares (ha) of land against last season's 8,110 ha.

He further said, in order to achieve the production target of Boro paddy, field level sub-assistant agriculture officials are working round the clock; farmers are advised to keep 3-4 inch water level in the Boro fields.

But seasonal fruits including mango and jackfruit may be harmed.

If there is no rainfall, Boro and other crops can be affected a bit, the agriculture official maintained.



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