Mumbaiites wilt under rising temperature

MUMBAI, MARCH 3: The heat will be on in the city for some more days. According to Dr P K Nandankar of the Colaba weather bureau, The we...

MUMBAI, MARCH 3: The heat will be on in the city for some more days. According to Dr P K Nandankar of the Colaba weather bureau, 8220;The westerlies moving towards north Gujarat and Rajasthan has affected the weather in central Maharashtra and Konkan. The day temperature at present in the city is around 33 degrees Celsius, and is expected to dip to 32 or 31 degrees Celsius in the next two to three days. This is nothing abnormal, and people are feeling the change only because of the sudden transition from winter to summer8221;.

But this jargon is little comfort for Radhabai, a vegetable vendor, and several like her sprawled outside Byculla station. Their vegetables are wilting under the sun and the vendors have to regularly sprinkle water on them to make them look fresh. 8220;Normally, our goods last with us even for three to four days, at the end of which we sell them off at throw-away prices. With this heat, we are forced to sprinkle water on them which dries them out even sooner.8221;

But for those whose businesseshad dipped for the last two-three months, the rise in temperature has come as a welcome change. Fruit vendors who can afford to erect a shade over their hand-carts are doing brisk business, especially watermelon sellers. Tiny watermelons are selling for almost Rs 10 each, while the big striped ones cost Rs 30-Rs 40 depending upon the size. A slice of the fruit costs at least Rs five. A hot, hot summer also means more sales for those selling sugarcane juice chaas, kokum sherbet, ice golas and fruit juices.

The early summer will also see less of the strawberry vendors around traffic junctions. Fruit vendors are predicting a early appearance of mangoes on the scene. Swimming pools in clubs and hotels are also finding more people trickling in during early mornings.

But fir those out in the great wide open, the heat is nothing less than torture. 8220;Normally, you start feeling the humidity after Holi,8221; says Arun Katdare, a salesperson trying to sell stuffed toys at a busy traffic junction nearCST, adding, 8220;People like us suffer from sunburn and dehydration. An early summer would make things worse for us.8221;