Cold wave continues to affect Tarai life

By Our Correspondents,Saptari/Nepalgunj/Mahottari/Sarlahi, Dec. 24: A severe cold wave sweeping across the Tarai has made daily life increasingly difficult, hitting the poorest and most vulnerable communities the hardest. 

With no sunshine for nearly a week, accompanied by biting cold winds, dense fog and mist, people across the plains are struggling to cope with the harsh winter conditions.

In districts such as Saptari, Mahottari and Sarlahi, Dalit, landless and marginalised families have been forced to rely on open fires, locally known as ghur, to keep themselves warm. 

In many settlements, people have stopped working altogether and spend most of the day huddling around fires made from straw or whatever fuel they can find. “The cold season frightens us every year,” said Badri Sada, 47, of Bishnupur Rural Municipality-6 in Saptari. “Someone from our community dies of cold every winter." 

Last year, my own mother died after being exposed to extreme cold.” He added that most families lack warm clothes and firewood is scarce this year, leaving them deeply worried about how they will survive the coming days. Locals said children, elderly people, people with disabilities and those suffering from chronic illnesses are the worst affected. 

Former chairman of Federation of Nepali Journalists chairperson and press freedom activist Baidyanath Jha said communities such as the Musahar and Dom, along with daily wage labourers, were bearing the brunt of the cold wave across the Tarai. Former ward chairperson of Bishnupur-6, Bahadur Sada, warned that the cold wave has become “a recurring disaster” for poor settlements and urged authorities to act before more lives are lost.

Meanwhile, the District Disaster Management Committee in Saptari has called an emergency meeting to assess the situation.  Chief District Officer of Saptari Tuwaraj Pokharel said schools may be forced to close if the cold persists. Although some local governments have allocated budgets for firewood and warm clothes, he said the resources must now be distributed immediately.

Flights grounded in Nepalgunj

The cold wave has also severely disrupted air travel. Nepalgunj Airport remained closed until Tuesday afternoon as dense fog reduced visibility to just 400 to 600 metres, far below the minimum required for flights. According to the Civil Aviation Office in Nepalgunj, no flight could operate due to poor visibility caused by fog, mist and cold winds. Flights to Kathmandu and hill districts were cancelled, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at the airport.

Airport officials said at least 1,000 metres of visibility is required for take-off and 1,600 metres for landing, conditions that were not met until late afternoon. Similar disruptions were reported on Monday, when morning flights were cancelled.

Schools shut in Mahottari

In Mahottari, three local governments -- Bhangaha, Balwa and Loharpatti municipalities -- have announced winter holidays for schools to save children from shivering cold.  Bhangaha Municipality closed schools for six days starting Tuesday, while Balwa announced a two-day closure and Loharpatti a four-day holiday.

Mayor Sanjiv Kumar Sah of Bhangaha said young children, elderly people and sick individuals were most at risk, making school closures necessary to protect children’s health. Education officials said the holidays may be extended if the cold wave does not ease.

Health and agriculture affected

Hospitals across Madhesh are reporting a rise in cold-related illnesses. Dr. Sunil Kumar Sah of Provincial Hospital, Jaleshwar, said more patients are visiting hospitals with joint pain, muscle stiffness, respiratory infections and cold-related complications. Doctors have advised people to stay warm indoors and consume hot, nutritious food.

Meanwhile Education Development and Coordination Unit in Sarlahi instructed all schools to give a holiday as cold started affecting lives. The unit sent letters  to all 20 local levels on Tuesday evening asking them to close schools.