JHARSUGUDA:Several places in the industrial district of Jharsuguda on Saturday recorded over 43 degree Celsius temperature.
The rising mercury has thrown normal life out of gear in Jharsuguda, Brajrajnagar, Belpahar and Bandhbahal. Intense humid conditions made life miserable for locals.
Roads in Jharsuguda town wore deserted look as people chose to remain indoors. Commercial establishments also downed their shutters early in the afternoon and the auto-rickshaw drivers hardly found any passengers. “It was a very hot day and I could not find any passenger in daytime,” said an auto-rickshaw driver of Badmal in Jharsuguda, Sangram Sahoo.
The coal mining area of MCL recorded 45 degree C in the afternoon due to burning of coal in the opencast mining area.
The heat condition has led to water crisis in various parts of the district. While ground water level has gone down, wells have dried up in many places. Making things worse, the water supplied by local civic body through tankers does not suffice.
Apparently, the town had recorded the highest temperature of 48 degree C in the years 1998 and 1985 in the month of May. Environmentalists fear the situation might be the same this year.