Dense fog disrupts normal life: Movement of water, land traffic halted

Dense fog halted normal life and movement of water and road traffic from Dhaka to the southern region during the last 18 hours till yesterday evening.

During the time, the wind had been blowing from southern direction to northern direction and formed the dense fog and the clouds over this region. The sun was not visible throughout the day due to thick layers of the fog and the clouds since the morning.

Over 100 big launches carrying about 1.50 lakh passengers from Dhaka failed to ply last night due to the dense fog and anchored in the river Meghna near Munshiganj upazila.

However, the launches started their journey at 9 this morning for their destinations of Barisal, Jhalakathi, Bhola, Barguna, Patuakhali and Pirojpur districts on 27 water routes with their headlights on for avoiding any accidents and reached the destinations between 3.30 PM and 5.30 PM yesterday.

Four luxury launches, including the MV Parabot-7, the MV Kalam Khan, the MV Kirtonkhola and the MV Sundarbans-7 with about 6,000 passengers, reached Barisal at 3.30 pm yesterday. Buses and trucks were found plying with their headlights on on most of the roads and highways throughout the day in the six southern districts of the region.

The newspapers were distributed among people at about 4 pm as the vehicles carrying those from Dhaka reached the city at 3.30 PM yesterday due to the thick fog.

The number of patients suffering from cold-related diseases like fever, pneumonia, diarrhoea, cough, asthma and other respiratory problems is increasing.

Another report from Rajshahi adds: The farmers of the northern region have been facing an awkward situation with their potato farming and boro seedbeds due to dense fog sweeping in the region for the last couple of days.

Farmers said the dense fog has become ruinous to the potato farming and boro seedlings. They are fearing that the farming would be affected badly if the situation continues for a few more days.

Meanwhile, the cold weather marked deterioration following reducing gap between the maximum and minimum temperatures coupled with foggy and cloudy weather that affected normal life and vehicular traffic everywhere in the region today.

Local Met Office recorded the minimum temperature at 14.6 degrees Celsius today against 12.6 degrees yesterday at Rajshahi while the highest temperature further dipped to 19.4 degrees against 24.8 degrees Celsius in the metropolis yesterday.

The sun today remained totally covered by thick layers of fogs till late morning and the city streets and public places remained almost deserted during the morning hours in city.

Normal works including the farming activities were badly affected and vehicular traffic hampered as the cold wave coupled with dense fogs continued sweeping over the region for the third consecutive day today.

Sufferings of the people of the char and rural areas in the river basins of the region started mounting again due to the cooler and stronger winds from the north and northwestern directions.

The public places became partially deserted from this afternoon and less number of people was seen moving in rural hats, bazaars, river ports, bus stands and other spots due to the blowing cooler winds and cold weather.

The vehicles were found plying with their headlights on almost on all the roads and highways throughout the day today to avert accidents amid the foggy weather that substantially reduced visibility.

The number of patients suffering from cold-related diseases like fever, pneumonia, diarrhoea, cough, asthma and other respiratory problems again marked rises at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital and other upazila level hospitals yesterday due to the cooler weather.

Meanwhile, Unprecedented cold wave during the last few days has almost paralysed normal life in the urban and rural areas of Gaibandha district.

Severe cold wave coming from the Himalayas made lives of the dwellers specially the homeless people of the town miserable. The cold wave intensifies its attack after midday and turns extremely unbearable in the evening.

Heavy fog and cloud overcast the whole sky keeping the sun invisible and the plying of the vehicles in all routes has become almost impossible all day long. Although the sun appeared for three days for a while around at 1 pm but it soon disappeared to the dismay of the dwellers.

In order to mitigate the sufferings of the cold victims, the government has distributed 4487 pieces of blankets and warm clothes worth about Tk 4,01,718, so far, among the cold victims of the district,executive magistrate and acting district relief and rehabilitation officer AKM Galiv Khan said.

The young children and the aged people from poor and low income families living in straw huts and fragile dwelling are the victim of the cold wave. Destitute are trying to combat this bone chilling cold through heats generated from burning heaps of straw and old rubber tire.

The residents of the Sandy char areas in the river basins are the worst affected as they are facing blowing of cold winds in those areas.

Only a few people were seen out of their houses on argent need while the day labourers could not work due to bitter cold throughout the day.

Due to severe cold, standing crops like maize, mustard and seedlings of IRRI-BORO paddy are facing damage in the fields, said and official of DAE.

Source: BSS