BIRGUNJ: Normal life of various Tarai districts has been adversely affected due to the chill weather. One person succumbs to the cold wave in Birgunj while children and elderly in the Tarai have been hit hard due to the adverse weather condition.

According to District Police Office Parsa, Jayasingh Raut, 60, of Birgunj-18 lost his life due to the cold.

The Meteorology Office at Simara says the minimum temperature of the area was recorded 4 degree Celsius today. Patients suffering from cold related ailments have been thronging the local health facilities. The marketplaces had a deserted look while attendances at schools were very low. Vehicles also stayed off the roads due to poor visibility as the area shrouded in mist. However, daily wage workers have been the worst hit.

In Rautahat too, normal life has was affected due to cold wave. People confined themselves to their homes.

Birendranath Sharma, an official at the District Administration Office said that only few service seekers were seen in the government offices today. Dr Ram Shankar Thakur of Gaur Hospital said that the number of patients with complains of common cold, pneumonia including others was increasing.

Similarly, life of Banke district has also been affected due to the cold wave. People are confined in their houses and business activities were affected. Only few vehicles were seen plying on the roads as well. The farmers lamented that their crops yield would be affected due to cold wave. Meanwhile, all the flights to and from Nepalgunj Airport were cancelled due to poor visibility today. The maximum temperature of Nepalgunj was 7 degree Celsius today.

Airport shrouded in mist, flights disrupted

Bara: Flights to and from Simara airstrip have been halted since yesterday due to poor visibility after the area has been shrouded in mist. Consequently, scores of passengers have been left stranded at the airport waiting the resumption of their flights.

Today itself, the scheduled eight flights between Kathmandu and Simara were cancelled due to the foggy weather condition. Guna Air and Buddha Air - both private airlines companies -- have been operating in this route.

A staffer at the airport confirmed the flights disruption due to the visibility problem. Mohammad Ali Hasan, manager, Airport Traffic Control Tower, said, "There should be 1.5 km visibility in order to operate the flights. But, the same now is just 300 metres,'' he said, adding, "Flight is totally out of the question amid such a weather condition.'' Some of the stranded passengers, as the hope for early opening of the flights waned, began returning their homes as well.

Shiva Shrestha, a Buddha Air staffer, said, "Some of the passengers returned home after their flights were cancelled today.'' While, many others have been canceling their flights too.