Gurgaon: Met predicts colder days, docs advise caution

Gurgaon has been experiencing dense fog in the morning and evening hours, affecting normal life

The city on Wednesday shivered at a minimum temperature of 7° Celsius. The weather department has predicted that the mercury is expected to slide further by at least two degrees Celsius by the end of this week. The maximum temperature has hovered around 16° Celsius since January 1.

The increasing chill and low wind speed has also affected the quality of air, and brought with it a sudden increase in the number of patients complaining of flu, congestion and respiratory problems, among other conditions. (Parveen Kumar/HT PHOTO)

According to officials from the Indian meteorological department (IMD), this season, winter took time to settle. “It is expected to colder as the month progresses because a cold wave from the Himalayas will sweep over the region,” a department official said.

During the early morning and late evening hours, the Gurgaon district has been experiencing dense fog that has affected everyday life.

“I have stopped going for jog early in the morning as the visibility is very low,” Chinmoy Mitra, a resident of The Legend in Sector 57, said.

IMD officials said shallow to moderate fog in the mornings will persist through the week.

The increasing chill and low wind speed has also affected the quality of air, and brought with it a sudden increase in the number of patients complaining of flu, congestion and respiratory problems, among other conditions.

“Our OPD is getting more than 60 patients a day affected by cold and flu virus,” BK Rajora, chief medical officer at Civil Hospital, said, adding that heart patients must take extra care in this kind of weather as blood pressure tends to rise.

Read I Gurgaon: Heavy fog to continue for three days, expect rain on Thursday

“Cold weather and pollution have lead to allergies. With the drop in temperature and ever increasing toxicity, people are prone to winter allergies, asthma, COPD (constrictive pulmonary disease),” Dr Rajesh Kumar, senior consultant at Paras Hopsitals, said, adding that wearing an anti-pollution mask won’t suffice and so, a nutritious diet and preventive measures are necessary.

“There has been a 100% hike in respiratory problems across hospitals in the region. Hospitals see 25% more respiratory patients in winters. The highest risk of air pollution is to children and the asthmatic elderly, for whom the risk of COPD is very high,” Dr Kumar said.

Health experts also suggested that people must detoxify during winters and one must take nutritious supplements through food to strengthen antibodies. Thus, intake of fruits and vegetables are necessary. Residents should include grapefruit, beet, carrot, apple, cabbage, and avocado in their diet, experts suggested.