Ladakh reels under severe cold wave

Leh, Feb 1 : Residents of Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir, country's cold desert, are reeling undersub-zero temperatures with natural springs and lakes freezing.

Residents of Ladakh are witnessing one of the coldest winters this year.

While day temperatures plummeted to minus 16 degrees Celsius recently, Ladakh recently witnessed bone-chilling nighttime temperatures of minus 35 degrees Celsius.

Some people even burnt bonfires from old vehicle tyres, in the absence of firewood, to beat the cold.

"I have not seen such a severe winter here before. We have not been able to open our shops for the past 10 to 15 days. This winter is affecting our business," said Bhupinder Singh, a resident.

The unprecedented harsh weather in the region has forced people to largely remain indoors. The unlucky few who are forced to work outside, trudge out late in the mornings and come back before evening, when icy-cold winds make it impossible to venture out.

"We have not witnessed as cold a winter as this for the past twelve years. The temperatures are ranging from minus 35 to minus 36 degrees, the vehicles are slipping on the road and vegetables are not available in the market. We are facing a lot of problems here," said Anwar Hussain, another resident.

ANI