Cold increasing woes of poor people

RAJBIRAJ, JANUARY 14

Life in Saptari has been adversely affected due to inclement weather for the past three days. The cold breeze that blows from early morning and the thick fog have made things worse.

According to locals, they have hardly seen any sunshine for the past few days and the excessive cold has affected children and the elderly the most. Given the harsh cold, people hardly come out of their homes except on emergency errands.

“For the past few days, we have seen the pressure of pneumonia, diarrhoea, and common cold patients,” said Gajendra Narayan Singh Hospital’s acting chief Dr Rajit Jha.

Among others, the impoverished communities are at the receiving end of the harsh cold weather.

Dom Upliftment Society Saptari founding Chairperson Yuktilal Marik said it was difficult for the poor to weather out the cold due to the lack of warm clothes, nutritious food and safe shelter. “The poor people live in shacks on unregistered land and lack basic amenities, so it’s very difficult to protect them through the winter if it is harsh,” he said, calling on the government to help protect the lives of the poor.

Meanwhile, the cold wave has also caused damage to the crops.