Heatwave throws life out of gear in Patna

PATNA: With the mercury rising high, city residents are having a difficult time going out in the sun for their day-to-day business. Life has been thrown out of gear due to the heatwave prevailing across the state.
While elderly people, homemakers and children are mostly staying indoors, people, who cannot skip office, can be seen travelling by cars, autos or cabs. Pedestrians, on the other hand, desperately search for shades to get some rest.
Different juice stalls are also witnessing an increased footfall due to heat.A private firm executive, Manoj Kumar (32), who drinks juice at a stall on Boring Road said, “I need to keep myself hydrated during my office hours.”
A number of parks in the city were vacant on Monday afternoon. Anand Kumar (25), who sells tickets at one of these parks, said, “People are not even coming for their regular morning walks. Those, who used to come on Sundays to spend time with their families, are staying at home.”
A traffic police personnel at Income Tax roundabout, Brajesh Kumar Singh, told this reporter, “It is very difficult to manage traffic, especially during daytime. I drink a lot of water and wear a mask to protect myself from heatwave.”
Quadragenarian Mahesh Kumar, a rickshaw-puller, faces a difficult time when the sun is up. “People do not want to walk in the heat and take a rickshaw even for covering a short distance,” Kumar said and added he could not stay indoors as this was his only source of income.
Meanwhile, frequent power cuts and low voltage are adding up to the woes of Patnaites.
Boring Road resident Akanksha Kumari (32) said, “It is unbearably hot and low voltage as well as power cuts are adding up to our difficulties.”
Parents are not allowing their children to play outside. Anita Kumari (32), a resident of Rajiv Nagar, said, “My kids might fall ill while playing in the sun. Therefore, I tell them to play inside the house.”
Kankerbagh resident Pranita Shekhar (28), who is a homemaker, does not want to go out to buy fruits and vegetables. “I only want to sit in front of the air conditioner,” she said.
Even youths are avoiding to go out in the scorching heat. Loyola High School student Aman Singh (19) said, “I don’t make plans in which I have to face the sun. I have even shifted my coaching classes to the evening batch.”