"Death comes to take us in disguise of the month of Poush (December/January). It easily takes away our loved ones," she added.Since her childhood, Sada has witnessed many in her village succumb to cold. However, she had never imagined that the winter's cruelty was going to befall on her own husband. Life, which was never easy, has become even challenging since she lost her better half to the cold wave last year.
Summer too gives them trouble. However, that's still tolerable unlike the winter, said Sada. "We suffer from diarrhea and dysentery in hot days. But the government hospital gives us medicine for that and we get cured. For winter, they give nothing to keep ourselves warm."
The dipping mercury since the last few days has badly affected people's life in the Madhes region and the hardest hit people are the poor. In lack of warm clothes and other facilities, Dom, Mushahar, Watar, Chamar and Kiot among other Dalit communities in Sarlahi, Saptari, Parsa, Bara and other Tarai districts are struggling to survive.
According to Thannath Bhanshali, president of Civil Society, Saptari, winter comes as a curse for the people with low economic background. "They struggle to battle with the cold and some succumb to it," he said. "Those who fall sick or even die are basically children and elderly people," he added.
As per the data provided by the District Administration Office, around two dozen people die of cold every winter in Saptari district alone. "This year too, cold wave has already hit the region. Since there is no preparedness to prevent deaths and sickness, all we can do is to wait for counting the death toll," said Bhanshali.
Meanwhile, Saptari CDO Narayan Prasad Bhatta stated that a mega meeting was held just two days ago in view of the cold wave. "We held meeting with the District Emergency Management Committee just two days ago. We have come up with a framework for relief, prevention as well as awareness regarding cold-related ailments." he said.
Noticeably, work plan is something the local administration claims to have prepared every year. This has, however, hardly made any difference in the people's lives, according to the locals.
"The winter has started hitting the poor. Where is the work plan? The poor do not have blankets or warm clothes, yet. The preparation of the administration is just a show off," said Binod Mandal, a vegetable farmer of Kochabakhari.
Last year, 20 people had died of cold in Saptari district alone, according to the data of the district administration office.
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