Intense cold, dense fog cripples life in UP

Inclement weather and dense fog continued to cripple life in Uttar Pradesh for the sixth day Tuesday, delaying more than 100 trains and leading to the death of at least 24 people since Monday.

While the state government said there were no casualties due to intense cold, sources said at least two dozen people have died since Monday, taking the toll to more than 150.

Both rail and air traffic continued to be hit by fog. Several road accidents were reported from many parts of the state.

Northern Railway officials said that more than 100 trains, including Chandigarh Express, Shatabdi Express between new Delhi-Lucknow, Gomti Express, Gorakhdham Express, Punjab Mail, Kashi-Vishwanath Express, Himgiri Express and New Jalpaigudi Express, were running late.

A Jet Airways flight was cancelled Monday and with the visibility not showing much improvement Tuesday, airport officials told IANS that the situation was unlikely to improve.

According to sources, five people died in Balrampur, three in Barabanki and two each in Shrawasti and Sitapur. Ten people died in Ghazipur, where an unprecedented cold wave has swept the region for the past 10 days.

"The administration at all the 75 districts have been asked to coordinate with local NGOs and ensure that there is no paucity of shelter homes and other essential things for the homeless and the destitute," a senior official told IANS.

Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan said Rs.16.35 crore has been released by the state government for distribution of blankets while Rs.3.27 crore has been released for bonfires at every tehsil level.

The Met Office has forecast that the cold wave conditions would continue for a few more days. Varanasi, Jhansi, Agra, Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Allahabad and Bareilly areas have recorded below normal temperatures.

Churk remained the coldest region in the state with a minimum of 0.6 degree Celsius, while the minimum temperature in Lucknow Monday was 7.4 degrees Celsius and the maximum was 12.3 degrees Celsius.

Najeebabad recorded a low of 2.5 degrees, Saharanpur was 4.4 degrees, Meerut 3.2 degrees and Agra had a minimum of 4.7 degrees Celsius Monday.