Sarlahi, May 3:

Life in the mid-Tarai region has been affected by extreme heat since the last few days. “The temperature today stood at 41 degrees Celsius. It was the highest on the scale in the district headquarters till date,” said local Sushil Agrawal in Malangwa, the district headquarters.

Only a few people ventured out of their homes due to the extreme heat in Malangwa, Hariban, Nawalpur and Lalbandi, among other places of the district.

“Only a few people from the rural areas visited the district headquarters,” said information officer Pushkar Mani Ghimire at the Sarlahi District Development Committee.

“Owing to the heat, the sale of cucumber has shot up while the sale of tea has decreased,” said a local vendor Ram Jaman Shah.

“If it does not rain in a day or a two, things will get difficult for farmers,” said Agricultural Publicity Officer Shiv Ratna Shah. A farmer Ram Dhari Roy said, “Paddy cultivation has also been affected due to the extreme heat over the last few days.”