Cold spell cripples Pathao riders, ordinary citizens

By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, Jan. 5: For Jaya Narayan Yadav (name changed), riding a Pathao bike in the biting cold feels like a punishment. Despite spending five years in the city, he has not been able to secure a stable job.

With a family of three -- his wife and young son -- depending entirely on his income, Yadav had little choice. After every option was exhausted, he turned to ride-sharing services, working as a rider for Pathao, Yango and InDrive whenever work is available. “This winter has been especially harsh,” he said, as the cold tightens its grip on both his body and livelihood.

“Since the third week of December, I have been resting in the mornings and at night because of the cold. I ride mainly during the day,” he said. “The earnings are satisfactory, but the cold might defeat me one day,” he added.

The temperature has dropped across the country. In the Tarai, a cold wave has gripped daily life, while Kathmandu is experiencing biting cold accompanied by winds.

As the cold increased, people are seen wrapped in heavy jackets, making small fires along streets and in open spaces to keep themselves warm.

According to Binu Maharjan, a meteorologist at the Meteorological Forecasting Division under the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), the minimum temperature on Sunday dropped to 4 degrees Celsius, 0.5 degrees lower than the previous day.

The cold is expected to increase until mid-January. As this is only the first week of January, temperatures may drop further in the coming days, she said. “Westerly winds are having a mild impact across the country, but in the absence of a strong system, there is no likelihood of rainfall,” she said.

Snowfall was recorded in Taplejung on Saturday, and other high Himalayan areas may also have received snow. However, no information has been received as there are currently no settlements in those areas, she added.

Meanwhile, our Mahottari correspondent, Nagendra Kumar Karn, reported that Barun Dahal, chairperson of Jaleshwar Municipality-2, has distributed firewood in the Jaleshwar market area to help residents cope with rising cold and persistent cold waves.

Chairperson Dahal said the cold wave, which began in the second week of December, is still continuing, prompting the ward to step in. He said the firewood earlier distributed by the municipality had already run out, while the cold persisted, compelling the ward office to distribute additional firewood to provide warmth to residents.

Firewood was distributed at public spaces and residential neighbourhoods within the main market area of the district headquarters to provide immediate relief. 

According to Dahal, fire was made at various places to provide warmth to service seekers and devotees visiting public institutions, including the Provincial Hospital, Jaleshwar, as well as temples and monasteries.

“As several public offices are located in this ward, the distribution of firewood has been continued to provide immediate relief to both service seekers and local residents,” he said.