The Pink City – at present in worst for the cold wave which has swept Rajasthan and forced residents into huddling together. Instead of high chilliness even this city, where temperatures have gone down into single digits, walls on one of the coldest hiccups this winter with mercury dipping to a quiet early morning with the minimum hovering around 7 degrees Celsius, thereby making outdoor activity an endurance test even for the briefest of moments.
Apart from the dropping temperature, the cold wave also invites fog, which envelops the city in the early hours. This has manifested itself through a lot of challenge, as much is reduced visibility due to it. Among them include commuters as workers, who are having trouble getting past the thick mist. This scenario already dropped up to 300 meters in some localities, affecting road and air travel, and has brought reports of delays for early morning Jaipur-bound trains, which were caught up in a network-wide disruption due to fog.
The cold wave’s impact on daily life
Schools have been instructed to change their timings or conduct classes online for the small ones, so that they are not required to go out and suffer the harsh spillover of the cold weather. There is scant attendance at the markets, and shoppers rush to complete their business and get under the roof again. Those without indoor heating are being found huddling around makeshift bonfires, a pretty common sight in Jaipur during such cold snaps.
Much had been done by the local administration to cope with the situation. Night shelters have been established in various parts of the city to shelter the homeless. The authorities have also upped the emergency services to address and attend to any weather-related distress. Caution is advised on roads through an advisory released by the meteorological department, urging reduced speed and the use of fog lights as a measure toward safer travel.
It is forecasted that the cold wave, along with fog, will continue for few days more with the temperatures possibly dipping further. Residents are advised to bathe in multiple layers of clothing and remain hydrated while limiting outdoor activities, particularly between the early morning hours and late evening when it is coldest. Jaipur is now preparing for even colder days, not only because of more severity in the weather but also in the community spirit: looking after each other, especially the elderly and the less equipped to bear the cold.
