This year, if MET department is to be believed, more than five hundred people have lost their lives due to winter. The most suffered community has been the poor and the needy in big cities who have no place to go, and they don't have adequate 'arrangements' to fight the winter.
In many northern states like Punjab, Delhi and UP mercury has dipped lower than 5 degree Celsius. Though governments of these states claim that they have spent many crores for these poor people but efforts, it seems, have remained to the papers only.
Only UP government claims that they have granted Rs 10 crores to purchase blankets, ironically this state shows 450 deaths (maximum deaths in a state so far) due to cold.
Historically, Makar Sankranti ( A famous Hindu festival) celeberated with much fervor, marks the Sun’s entry into the northern hemisphere and the end of winter.
But this year this has not happened. Uttar Pradesh has been the victim of weather’s extremity. There have been 450 deaths in the state, nearly 40 in Bihar, while Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana are constantly under sub-zero temperatures .
Most deaths have occurred among the poor due to inadequate shelter and lack of warm clothing. Compounding the problem has been rain across North India, including Delhi, UP, Haryana, and Punjab, after which temperatures have fallen further. Amritsar remains the coldest place with minus one temperature in the north. MET department predicts that icy winds will continue to blow in from the Himalayas and there isn’t much hope of fog dissipating in a hurry either.
Dense fog cover has been engulfing entire north from early hours of the evening and disappears only after 8.30 in the morning. Recent train accidents in near Kanpur and Tundla has raised alarm bells in the railway department and Indian Railway has released some guidelines to prevent any mishap in future. Though mercury level has gone in past two days but fog is still to say good bye. Dense fog cover in Delhi has been delaying many flights for hours and in worst case cancelling them. As many as 14 trains passing through Hapur and Moradabad has been cancelled and will be continued ony after the fog cover disappear.
Though Delhi government has arranged bonfires at many places but they are not enough to meet the demand of lakhs of poor people living in the city.
Though some NGOs and college students are contributing their wit by collecting used woolen clothes and later giving these clothes to the needy.
But there are thousnads of other who are suffering and bearing the brunt of winter in India and we need sincere govrnments to solve the probem. Shelling out money on the name of poor and later pocketing it in their pockets is the realty we see happening daily in our country. Corrupt habits of politicians and babus will not die until citizens come out in open and taking things in their own hands to complete them on time.
Every single person dying due to winter is a slap to the present goverenment as well as people who claim that India is prospering at rapid rate because they forget to mention that India is prospering -true, but Bharat, where our most population lives is hungry, poor and starving.
Though signs of the change are visible but it will take at least two decades to fill this disparity gap and that seems impossible.
Contribute your bit if you feel something inside. That is the purpose of this article.
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