Heat wave leaves Chandigarh's Garden of Silence deserted

Chandigarh's Garden of Silence lived up to its name on Sunday with people skipping it due to extreme hot weather in the city.

Situated at the regulator end of the Sukhna Lake, the Garden of Silence is a place where people meditate, both in the morning and late evening. On holidays and weekends, it is flooded with locals and tourists.

"There is a noticeable decline in the arrival of people in the garden even in the early hours these days owing to abnormally high heat," garden caretaker Naresh Yadav told IANS.

He said on normal days the garden gets 800-1,000 visitors per day. On weekends, the number is almost double.

Likewise, popular tourist spots like the Zakir Hussain Rose Garden and the Nek Chand's Rock Garden and Sector 17's shopping Plaza wore deserted look.

Unseasonably hot weather continued across northern India with Chandigarh's temperatures rising over 43 degrees Celsius in the past few days.

As temperatures soared in the city, located in the foothills of the Shivaliks, people found ways to beat the sweltering weather.

People were seen cooling themselves off with water on taps on a hot summer afternoon at the city's rain-fed Sukhna Lake, which has been reduced alarmingly owing to heat wave.

Residents of the city experienced a maximum temperature of 41.5 degrees on Sunday, a slight relief from the 42.4 degrees Celsius recorded a day earlier.

The local meteorological office predicted heat wave across the city till June 4. Thereafter, people may get some relief from the rising mercury with chances of thundershowers in the region.

--IANS

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