13 more people died due to the biting cold in Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, taking this season’s toll to 81. Lucknow recorded a minimum of 3.4 degrees celsius. Bareilly was at 3.2, Allahabad and Gorakhpur were marginally warmer. The national capital Delhi shivered at 5 degrees as icy winds lashed the city. Schools in both states remain closed for another week.
Further north, farmers in Punjab are among the hardest hit by the cold wave. The region has seen temperatures 5 degrees to 7 degrees below normal and this has damaged vegetable production. Debt-ridden farmers are now turning to the government for monetary assistance. The Met department says the chill could persist.
The cold wave has hit animals in Bihar as well. Freezing temperatures in Bodhgaya took a heavy toll on fish. Many were found dead on Sunday in a sacred pond at the Buddhist pilgrimage town. Monks are planning to engage experts to help save the remaining fish. Capital Patna was warmer at 5 degrees.