As winter has spread to all nooks and corners of Odisha, several places in the State continue to shiver with below-10-degree Celsius temperature.
Temperature in some parts of Kandhamal, Sundargarh and Koraput districts in particular have begun to plummet further.
“There is too much cold in Phulbani. But we are enjoying it nonetheless. It is good for business too as tourists have started to come to the district to enjoy the beautiful valleys here. However, the poor are suffering in this cold. The government should provide them blankets to keep them warm in this winter,” opined a local of Phulbani.
A tourist who had come from Kolkata, said, “The cold is too much. It feels like Darjeeling in Phulbani. I am advising people of Odisha to visit Kandhamal if they want a Darjeeling-like feeling.”
Similarly, in Narayanpatna, Koraput, foggy mornings have become commonplace since a few days. People are seen lighting campfires on roadside to keep them warm in the morning.
“The cold is gradually turning out to be unbearable for people, particularly for the poor like us. We have to resort to campfires to get some respite from this bone-chilling cold,” said a local of Narayanpatna.
As per the India Meteorological Department, G Udaygiri in Kandhamal recorded 7.5 degree Celsius on Friday night. Minimum temperature at other places were—Phulbani 8.5 degrees, Kirei & Semiliguda 8.7 degrees, Daringibadi 9.5 degrees, Koraput 9.6 degrees, Rourkela 9.7 degrees, Keonjhar 10.4 degrees, Sundargarh 10.5 degrees, Angul 10.6 degrees, and Jharsuguda 10.8 degrees.