Vidarbha sizzles as mercury rises

Nagpur, May 2 (UNI) The entire Vidarbha is sizzling as the mercury has been hovering around the 45 degrees celsius mark at most places in this region of Maharashtra for the past week.

Most people prefer to spend a major part of the day indoors due to the hot conditions, and the streets wear a deserted look in the afternoon. Those who venture out, do so only after wrapping their faces and heads with cloth as protection from the merciless sun. It is also a practice in this part of the country to carry an onion along while venturing out in the summer.

The sale of air conditioners and coolers has shot up. Nearly 60 per cent of the total annual sale of air conditioners takes place during the three summer months, market sources said.

Nagpur city is also a huge market of air coolers, with bodies being sent to Raipur, Bhopal, Indore and Hyderabad during the season, the sources said. Nagpur is also a major manufacturing centre for ''wood-wool'', the material commonly used for the making the walls of a cooler. The wood for the purpose is brought to Nagpur from Assam.

The streets are dotted with kiosks selling watermelons, considered a good antidote for heat and the seasonal delicacy mango.

Charitable institutions and voluntary organisations have followed the tradition of setting up stalls distributing free water to the thirsty during the summer months.

Unconfirmed reports said that at least five persons, including a woman, had died due to sunstroke in the region, including three in Chandrapur and one each in Gondia and Bhandara districts, but there was no official confirmation.

Meanwhile, the temperature has come down at some places after the region received stray rains yesterday and today. The meteorological office here said rainfall was occurring in Vidarbha because of a low-level cyclonic circulation over the region, and was likely to recur over the next few days.

Nagpur recorded a maximum temperature of 43.4 degrees celsius today, with Akola recording 45.8 and Wardha 37.8 degrees celsius, the weather office said.

UNI