Cold wave kills three in Jharkhand

The death toll due to cold wave in Jharkhand reached six after three people died in December.

Three people allegedly died of cold in Jharkhand as chilly weather conditions prevailed in the state, bringing down mercury to 5.1 degrees Celsius in Ranchi, lowest in three years.

People warming themselves around a fire to beat the cold in Ranchi on January 13.(Diwakar Prasad/ Hindustan Times)

Dwarika Mahato (60) and Tezi Mahato (60), from Giridih district’s Birni block, and Tileswar Dangi (55), from Itkhori block in Chatra district, allegedly died of cold on Saturday.

The death toll due to cold wave in Jharkhand reached six after three people died in December.

However, Colonel Sanjay Srivastava, state project officer of disaster management department (DMD), clarified that cold wave is not considered as disaster in Jharkhand. Therefore, deaths due to cold wave are not registered and victims would not be compensated.

He said Rs 62.25 lakh has been released to all 24 districts in the state for cold wave mitigation. “There is no shortage of fund. Districts have been asked to send requisitions whenever they require.”

With mercury dipping, the number of patients suffering from cold related ailments has gone up. Over 60-65 patients are being treated at Ranchi Sadar hospital daily while 30-35 patients are visiting OPD of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), hospital officials said. School students were the worst sufferers.

Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has arranged bonfire facilities for the poor at nine places in the city. The district administration is also distributing blankets among street dwellers and the homeless.

Ranchi’s minimum temperature on Saturday night was the lowest in three years, according to weather officials.

The city had recorded 5.5 degrees Celsius on January 15, 2016, 5.6 on January 19, 2015 and 5.5 on January 4, 2014. The lowest recorded temperature in the city was 3.2 degrees Celsius on January 1, 2008.

The city’s temperature was lower than Jammu in the north which reeled at 10.1 degrees Celsius.

Officials also said that the suburb, Kanke experienced freezing conditions at under one degree Celsius.

Northwesterly winds, a result of snowfall in the Himalayan region, have pulled down the state’s night temperature by 4-6 degree Celsius below normal and cold wave conditions may continue for next 48 hours, the officials said.

“Unrestricted wind flow from the Himalayan region has enhanced the chill effect. Average night temperature may hover 4-6 degrees below normal across the state for next 48 hours,” said B K Mandal, director Ranchi centre of India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Besides Ranchi, Bokaro shivered at 5.7 degrees Celsius, six notches below the normal, Jamshedpur recorded 7.7 degrees Celsius, four degrees below normal and Chaibasa 6.8, five below normal, on Saturday night.

Update at 7pm: In view of cold wave situation, Ranchi district administration on Sunday issued directive to all schools to suspend classes up to Class-5 till January 17. “After two days, the situation will be reviewed and directive will be issued accordingly,” said Ranchi deputy commissioner Manoj Kumar.