Intense heatwave scorches country's south-western region

The country's south-western parts are now scorching under the ongoing intense heatwave as temperature in the districts of the region is making one after another record.

The year's highest temperature of 43.8 degrees Celsius was recorded in Jashore on Tuesday last, the country’s highest temperature recorded in decades. A day before, on Monday, the district recorded a temperature of 42.8 degrees Celsius.

Only two days before that day, temperature in Chuadanga reached a record high of 43 degrees Celsius.

Experts say the temperature is gradually increasing due to climate change, anticipating hotter days ahead with the mercury possibly climbing further. Mercury's temperature may rise further.

Local authorities have advised people not to go out during the hottest part of the day to avoid the scorching heat.

The suffering of common people in Jashore, Chuadanga, Khulna, Satkhira, Narail, Kushtia, and Meherpur, has increased immensely due to the heatwave. On April 28, 15 students of Itna High School at Lohagara upazila in Narail fell ill today, they were sent home after being treated locally.

Meanwhile, due to the heatwave, the production of fish spawn in the entire southwestern region including Jashore is being disrupted. Thousands of daily wage laborers, easy bike drivers and rickshaw and van pullers have become unemployed due to extreme temperature. Activities at the country's largest land port Benapole are being stopped as the day progresses with the heat also increasing. Overall activities in the whole district are being severely disrupted in the scorching heat of Baisakh.

On the other hand, the number of patients in Jashore's 250-bed general hospital has increased significantly due to intense heat. At present, the number of admitted patients has exceeded 1,000 in the hospital.

Besides, the farmers are worried about the loss of vegetable crops due to the ongoing heat wave. The blooms of fruits including mango, jackfruit, litchi and dragon are falling to the ground.

Severe water shortage is prevailing in the entire southwestern region including Jashore due to declining groundwater levels. This scarcity of water is increasing day by day in the western part of the country, due to the decrease in the underground water level.

Most of the shallow tube-wells in the southwestern districts are not getting water. The level of water in deep tube-wells and submersibles has also reduced manifold.

The Meteorological Department said since the beginning of Baisakh, heatwaves started all over the country. Now the heat is turning from intense to super-intense level.

Meanwhile, questions have been raised about the quality of road work due to melting of bitumen as a result of the heat wave at some places of Jashore-Narail, Jashore-Jhenaidah and Jashore-Benapole highways. Vehicular movement on these roads has lessened.

According to the sources of Roads and Highways Department, the pitch used on the roads is generally of 60-70 grade. Its melting point is 48 to 52 degrees Celsius. That is, when the temperature rises to 48 degrees Celsius, the pitch would melt. But the pitch is now melting long before that when the temperature has reached 42-43 52 degrees Celsius.

BSCIC (Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation) Jhumjhumpur area businessman Kausar Ali said, “When walking on the road, the shoes and sandals are getting stuck in the pitch. Some are leaving the sandal being unable to lift it from the pitch as it gets glued to the road due to car wheel pressure.”

Golam Kibria, Executive Engineer of the Roads and Highways Department in Jashore, said, "Bitumen is melting on the Jashore-Narail and Jashore-Khulna roads. To address this, sand and pebbles are applied to melted sections to maintain the road's integrity."

Golam Kibria, executive engineer of Roads and Highways Department, Jessore, said, “Bitumen is melting on the Jashore-Narail and Jashore-Khulna highways due to extreme heat.

Places where bitumen has fallen on the Jessore-Narail and Jessore-Khulna roads are melting in hot summer. For this, sand and pebbles are being applied to melted portions of the roads to make it usable.”