North continues to shiver, three more deaths in UP

New Delhi, Jan 16 (UNI) Northern India continued to shiver under intense cold conditions with Srinagar recording a minimum temperature of around minus 4.2 degrees Celsius today forcing the people to take recourse to traditional kangris (fire-pots) and electronic room heaters besides 'pheron (long woollen coats)' and other warmers.

As the temperature had gone below the freezing point, water pipes in several areas in the Valley were jammed. A major portion of Dal Lake also remained frozen.

The nationwide death toll rose to 177 with the death of three more people reported in Uttar Pradesh, taking the toll to 118 in the state. Altogether 19 lives were lost in Punjab and Haryana, 35 in Bihar and five in North Bengal.

More than 425 Srinagar-bound passengers were stranded in Kargil as the IAF's AN-32 aircraft could not ply between Chandigarh and Kargil during the past few days due to bad weather and thick fog cover.

A defence official in Kargil told UNI that tickets had been issued to about 200 passengers while more than 225 were on the waiting list.

Cold wave conditions swept through eastern Uttar Pradesh since last couple of days. Report from Sangam, Allahabad said pilgrims had to face hardships as the Ardh Kumbh Mela administration did not make proper bonfire arrangements even on Makar Sankranti.

Fog continued to disturb train schedules in UP. Kalindi Express and Chauri Chaura Express and Farukhabad Passenger have been suspended till January 31.

The minimum temperatures in the higher altitude areas of Kinnuar, Lahaul Spiti, Kullu and Chamba of Himachal Pradesh continued to remain between minus 15 and minus 25, freezing all natural water sources, decreasing water discharge in the rivers of the state.

In Sikkim, the mercury plunged to near freezing point of 2.6 degrees in capital Gangtok and its surrounding areas today.

Intense cold wave lashed Adampur, near Jalandhar, and the holy city of Amritsar where the minimum settled at minus 0.1 degrees, five degrees below normal. Patiala and Ludhiana also reeled under the cold wave with the mercury staying low, respectively recording 3.7 degrees and 6.0 degrees.

Narnaul in Mahendergarh district of Haryana recorded the minimum at 2.0 degrees, followed by Karnal registering 4.2 degrees, three degrees below normal, and Ambala showing 5.4 degrees, two degrees below normal. Hissar registered 6.6 degrees.

Due to the ground frost conditions prevailing over some parts of Punjab and north Haryana, the minimum temperature in Delhi maintained its downwards movement. The temperature dropped from 4.8 degrees yesterday to 4.5 degree today, two degrees below normal.

Some places in Rajasthan got a reprieve with the minimum temperature moving upward by a few degree. While Pilani in Jhunjhunu district was the coldest place in the state at three degrees, Churu and Ganganagar closely followed at 3.8 degree.

In Manipur, the mercury dipped to 3.7 degrees, while Kolkata experienced a cold and foggy morning for the second day. The sky remained cloudy throughout the day though there was no forecast of rainfall.

Dry weather prevailed over Karnataka. Minimum temperatures rose at many places over South Interior Karnataka and changed little over Coastal Karnataka and North Interior Karnataka. They were below normal at many places over North Interior Karnataka; however above normal at a few a places over South Interior Karnataka and normal over Coastal Karnataka.

Rain or thundershowers occurred at isolated places in Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Mainly dry weather prevailed over the Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Gangetic West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar and Lakshadweep.

UNI