By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Dec. 14: Meteorologists have suggested embracing necessary preparations and precautions in the days to come as there is likelihood of severe cold in Kathmandu and other Terai regions with chances of a cold wave and thick fog.
Kathmandu has recorded the lowest minimum temperature on Sunday at 4.5 degree Celsius for the month of December, according to senior Meteorologist Nirajan Sapkota at Meteorological Forecasting Division.
On November 29, Kathmandu had recorded 4.3 degree Celsius minimum temperature, he said.
Currently, cold wave along with thick fog has surrounded mainly the eastern and central Terai region which is taking time to clear or fade, he said.
"Today, thick fog enveloped Biratnagar, and other central Terai regions till 2:30 pm," Sapkota said.
Meanwhile, our district correspondent Janarjan Khatri from Sarlahi added that normal life in the Terai region, including Sarlahi district, has been crippled due to severe weather caused by thick fog and cold wave for the past few days.
Extremely poor, working class and backward Dalit families have been affected the most.
Families without warm clothes to cover their bodies and blankets for the night are forced to brave the cold. Locals have started making fire in the main street corners to chase the cold and keep themselves warm.
The temperature in the area has been dropping every day since the sun stopped shining.
On Sunday morning, Sarlahi recorded the lowest temperature at 13 degree Celsius.
The minimum temperature has been plummeting across the Terai region since mid-December.
Ram Prasad Ray Yadav, chairman of Kaudena Rural Municipality of the district, said that extremely poor families and backward Dalit families, including Dom, Musahar and Chamar, were severely affected by the cold wave.
Vehicles plying along the East-West Highway are forced to keep their lights on even during the day time.
The schools, which have been closed for a long time due to the coronavirus infection are, however, operating amidst severe cold.
Children, the elderlies and the physically challenged are most affected by the cold.
Medical Superintendent of District Hospital, Malangwa Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Singh said that such people should take special care as they would soon fall sick due to cold.
Meanwhile, farmers are worried about the outbreak of cold-related diseases in their crops due to thick fog and cold wave.
Also, in Saptari, sudden spell of cold wave for the last 10 days has also affected normal life.
Dev Narayan Yadav, a member of the Disaster Affected Community Network, said, "The cold wave has started 15 days earlier than usual this year.” The government and other state offices are, however, still not giving much attention.
Life in Saptari, Siraha, Sunsari, Dhanusha, Udayapur and other districts has also been affected by the cold wave for the last two weeks.
According to the statistics of the last few years, in Saptari of Central Madhes alone, two dozen people die every year due to the cold wave in absence of warm clothes and proper care.
Despite the fact that Saptari has such alarming statistics, the Province government is neither able to come up with any package of assistance for the people suffering from the cold wave, nor is there any preparation and plan.
The people of backward communities like Dom, Musahar, Bantar, Dushadhasahita are the ones who get affected most by the cold wave.
"How can a poor family like mine buy warm clothes and build a proper house to evade cold as we depend on daily wages to feed ourselves" Yomik Marik, a leader of the Dom family, said.
He said that the Nepalis who don't have proper earning sources have to die prematurely in every cold season.
"Thousands of people are being affected by the cold wave, and those without clothes are facing more problems," said Khushi Lal Mandal, a local intellectual and politician.
As the problem of cold wave occurs every year, local leaders say that a special package should be brought to the people from the Prime Minister-level to protect them from it.

(With inputs from Devram Yadav/Janarjan Khatri from Saptari/Sarlahi.)