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Journalism of Courage
With the mercury touching zero in some cities of Uttar Pradesh, including Kanpur during the current winter spell, the entire state is reeling under an unprecedented cold wave which has claimed more than 250 lives.
More than two dozen persons were reported dead in different parts of the state today. While Kanpur continued to be freezing with the mercury going below zero, it was an all time low in most other cities such as Allahabad which recorded a minimum of 0.4 , Lucknow 2 and Varanasi 1.8 deg C.
‘‘There isn’t going to be an immediate respite because cold air pools have been created which are responsible for the drop in night temperatures. This phenomenon occurs when dry icy continental winds are caught in a particular region for some time and these form a pool of currents,’’ said the state meteorological director R.K. Verma.
The local zoo authorities have made arrangements to ensure a bonfire in every cage and ordered more woollen clothes for the animals to save them from the cold spell.
Another fallout of the intense cold is the sharp rise in prices of dry wood and wood charcoal which has made it hard for the poor to keep themselves warm.
Due to intense fog, most of the trains and flights coming to Lucknow are either running late by several hours or have been cancelled. In total, there were nearly 35 trains.
