NEPALGUNJ:  Daily life has been severely disrupted in the Terai districts, including Banke, due to a sharp rise in temperatures.

With the blazing afternoon sun and scorching hot winds keeping people indoors, the streets in this region have started wearing a deserted look. As the heat intensifies, crowds of consumers have begun thronging local stalls selling sugarcane juice and lassi.

According to Ram Prasad Awasthi, Chief of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology in Kohalpur, Nepalgunj recorded its highest-ever temperature of 45°C on June 14, 2012. He noted that the Terai districts have been experiencing extreme heat lately, adding that school children and daily wage laborers are the hardest hit by this weather.

Meteorological Department Chief Awasthi stated that today evening, the temperature is forecast to reach between 38°C and 40°C. He informed that this forecast was based on temperature readings taken between 2:00 PM and 5:45 PM. He further revealed that Thursday recorded the year’s highest temperature so far at 41.5°C, adding that temperatures have been rising continuously since May 18.

Awasthi explained that weather conditions are classified as hot days, very hot days, and extremely hot days based on the temperature. He informed that conclusions are reached using data collected from the Ranjha Airport and Khajura stations, in addition to Kohalpur. “There are days when it’s hot one day and slightly less the next, but overall, the heat is on the rise,” he said.

While the heat wave continues to disrupt daily life, local residents are facing additional misery due to frequent power supply disruptions. Even when electricity is available, low voltage prevents fans from running properly in homes and offices, and water pumps and other appliances are breaking down, according to Shivadutta Bhatta, a resident of Nepalgunj-9. Expressing his frustration over the irregular power supply, he urged authorities to swiftly resolve this recurring annual problem.

Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Chief Engineer of the Nepalgunj Distribution Center under the Nepal Electricity Authority, explained that the electricity transmitted from the Kohalpur Grid Branch is overloaded, which is directly impacting the power lines in Nepalgunj.

He said, “Personally, I am making efforts day and night to ensure a regular power supply. However, the problem persists because the power distributed from the Kohalpur Grid Branch to the substation is of low voltage.”