JEYPORE: Cold wave conditions returned to Koraput district with several pockets witnessing a drop in temperature over the last three days.
Mercury dipped below 7 degree Celsius in Dasmantpur, Laxmipur, Lamataput, Nandapur, Pottangi, Semiliguda and Koraput. In the plains of Jeypore, Borigumma, Kotpad, Kundra and Boipariguda blocks, it hovered around 8 degree C.
Sources said, the chilly conditions have brought daily life to a grinding halt as people stayed indoors and markets, business establishments and government offices started functioning only after 12 noon.
While roads wore a deserted look during the morning hours, picnic spots like Machkund, Deomali, Raniduduma, Putsil and Gupteswar saw good number of visitor footfalls. On Monday, several ghat roads near Jeypore, Pottangi, Lamataput and Laxmipur were covered with fog till 10 am, disturbing normal traffic badly.
Normally, such cold weather condition prevails in Koraput from the beginning of December and continues till January end. However, in a departure from the past, the cold weather condition are now being seen from November second week.
“We are experiencing such cold wave after a decade in Koraput. Normally, we get such conditions in December to January in the tribal areas,” says Chittaranjan Satapathy, a 70-year-old resident of Koraput.
District emergency office sources informed that the cold wave will continue for a few days.