TURA:
High temperatures touching the mid 30s’ is leaving the citizens of Garo Hills in sweltering heat with no end in sight as the rains play truant for the past one week.
Extreme high temperatures, not unusual for this season, have been rising for the last couple of days.
Tura touched a high of 34 degree Celsius for the past two days and the situation was no different for Williamnagar and Baghmara towns which also faced familiar numbers.
“Usually we experience high temperatures coupled with sporadic showers, but this time only the heat is present and the rains are missing,” says an agricultural officer from Tura.
According to him, if the heat persists with absence of rain it can adversely inpact agricultural season as farmers are out on the fields preparing the ground for sowing.
The worst off are the plains of Garo Hills where the high humidity is a gruelling experience for its inhabitants.
They say little can be done during the daytime which is the most important part of the work period because the extreme heat keeps farmers away.
“The only respite we get is after dark when temperatures fall, but frequent power disruptions also add to our problem,” says a student from Baghmara town in South Garo Hills which has the record for the most power cuts in the entire region.