Dehradun: As a major part of North India is under the grip of a cold wave and we are witnessing a thick blanket of fog and frosty winds in the mornings and nights, the Dehradun District Administration headed by District Magistrate Sonika, IAS, is taking various steps to deal with the severe cold.

Public bonfires are being lit at over seventy places across the district, which is of much respite to the people out in the cold. “A good number of people are availing the Night Shelters set up by the district administration to ensure no one has to stay outside in this harsh winter. We make sure to address the requirement of warm clothes and food for the people staying in the night shelter,” said an official of the Disaster Management Department. 

In an attempt to address the requirement of warm clothes for the poor and recycling the old ones 2010-batch IAS officer, Sonika has called upon people to donate or gift their old warm clothes to the poor providing a toll free number for the coordination. With minimum temperature in North India hovering around 4-5 degree Celsius, the steps taken by the Dehradun Administration for the well being of the public is commendable.

According to the recent prediction of the India Meteorological Department, several northern regions will continue to face very cold temperatures and dense fog, resulting in reduced visibility. As per the IMD predicts, the temperature is expected to fall further in the coming days. 

The news of deaths due to cold waves and dense fog are coming in from various parts of North India. The worst affected from this harsh winter, as we all know, are the homeless. Though the state governments come forward to their aid; it requires a massive advance planning and implementation to deal with the yearly recurring situation.