Jamshedpur, March 5: The city is experiencing its hottest March this season. The weather forecast for Jamshedpur for the next two days is mainly clear skies and temperatures above 40°C. The temperature has started hovering around 37.6°C.
As the temperature rises, shortage of drinking water has begun to rear its ugly head in places like Jugsalai, Baghbera, and Pursudih with several water sources going dry. Even hand pumps have already gone dry in several areas, as the groundwater level plummeted considerably over the past few years.
District authorities across the area have geared up to provide drinking water to people wherever shortage of water comes to fore. Traders have reported a hike in demand for cold drinks, with roadside juice stall owners and hotels making a brisk business on the rising mercury.
It is only mid-March and the maximum temperature already touched 42.1°C in the city. The sky remained clear and the sun was shining bright to record a high temperature. Moreover, in the coming days, the temperature would further rise, Met department has predicted.
“The summers have arrived and in the coming days, the temperature will rise further. The sky would remain clear and there are no signs of rain, which could provide relief when the temperature is rising,” a Met department official said.
He said that the dry westerly and northwesterly winds from Bay of Bengal are making the temperature rise.
Sources added that all private and government-run schools are also mulling over to change the school timings due to harsh weather conditions. New timings may be announced by the end of this week.
Meanwhile city-based senior doctor, Dr. U K Srivastava, said that people should take extra care during such sweltering weather conditions.
“I am of the opinion that special arrangements should be made in all government hospitals and community health centers across the city to treat those suffering from sunstroke.
Children are more prone to heat related diseases. There should be arrangement of air-conditioners or air-coolers for the treatment of such patients,” he noted.