The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Life has become miserable in capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country due to the current heat wave, combined with frequent load shedding of power.

The high temperature that soars up to 40 degree Celsius over the last few days is aggravating the plight of the commoners who are suffering from frequent load shedding.

The Met Office terms the current heat wave mild to moderate. They said that there was no possibility of the heat wave, now sweeping across Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Barisal divisions, and Rangamati and Maizdi Court, going down soon.

Rather, they said that temperature would rise further in the next month.

The meteorologists said the current heat wave first began on April 10 and continued till April 12. But the second wave of hot spell began on April 18 and has gradually been prolonging since then. The current heat wave may come to end through rains by April 26 or 27.

"A cyclone now persists in the China Sea is mainly responsible for this prolonged heat wave in Bangladesh. It has been joined by low pressure prevailing in the West Bengal," said a meteorologist.

The meteorologist said that clouds in the skies of this Indian sub-continent are rushing towards the China Sea. As a result, no clouds cannot persist in the sky of Bangladesh.

"This is not an abnormal rise of temperature as such temperature persists in April and May every year," meteorological expert Farah Diba said.

She cautioned such hot spell may continue for a couple of days more.

According to Farah Diba, the temperature may exceed 42 degree Celsius in May. "Further rise in temperature in May is likely if clouds and monsoon rains make delay to come," she said.

Tornadoes may take place following the current heat wave, she added.

In Dhaka, life has become totally intolerable due to sweltering weather and scorching heat. It has become absolutely difficult to stay at homes, offices and streets. Miseries have been compounded by frequent load shedding of power. Poor people have become the worst sufferers of the current heat wave. Sufferings of day-labourers, rickshawpullers and toiling masses have been mounting day by day.

'The temperature has become unbearable. We use fans at our house. But six-seven hours of load shedding every day makes me difficult to do anything at home,' Momena Khatun, a resident of Mirpur area said.

Officials at the Dhaka Electric Supply Authority (DESA) told The New Nation yesterday the shortfall of power generation in the country has reached 1,500 megawatt against a demand of around 5,000 megawatt.

An official of DESA, who asked not to be named, said the situation may worsen in the coming days of this summer with increasing demand for electricity.

Schools, offices, hospitals and businesses are badly affected by the frequent load shedding. Big business houses are using generators but small shops, markets and factories are struggling to cope with the situation.

Many schools in the capital stopped students from assembling in the school compounds and changes their class routines to avoid the summer heat.

The bitumen on several roads in Dhaka melts down in mid day by the heat and making the driving dangerous.

The situation in the country's northern region looks worsened with electricity supply for only 3-4 hours a day in the scorching heat-wave.

The hot spell also leads to outbreak of diarrhea, fever and other heat related ailments and respiratory problems. Doctors advise people to drink more water and fluid substance to face the situation.