Amritsar residents wake up to freezing Sunday morning
Amritsar, January 21
The city residents woke up to freezing morning on Sunday. There was some respite from fog which improved visibility. People were able to commute on roads in the city without any difficulty.
Today’s weather conditions also improved mobility of trains and buses. However, Amritsar-Nanded Sachkhand Express, which departs from the local railway station at 5:30 am, was delayed by over three hours as it chugged out at 8:50 am. Amritsar- Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus train, which usually departs at 8:50 am, was 20 minutes behind its scheduled time. The Amritsar-Bilaspur Chhattisgarh Express, which departs at 4:10 pm, was delayed by only seven minutes.
Buses run by the Punjab Roadways, Punjab Road Transportation Company (PRTC) and PEPSU, besides private companies departed and arrived at their respective destinations as per scheduled time.
There was no respite from shivering cold as the sun remained elusive today. People preferred to enjoy hot eatables and drinks in their houses and at public places. Many were seen enjoying hot coffee and tea at outlets at the railway station and the bus stand.
Hari, who had come with his group from Rajasthan to earn livelihood in the city, said the inclement weather prompted them to install shanties on roadsides and in parks to get some respite from the sweeping cold wave and freezing temperature during the night.
Savitri, a homeless woman, said they avoided night shelters inside Gol Bagh and another one at an abandoned hospital building near the Ram Bagh railway crossing. These shelters offered separate facilities for the stay of men and women which split their families, she said. These homeless people can easily be spotted on footpaths around the historic Ram Bagh, popularly known as Company Garden, on dividers of Lawrence Road, in Dharam Singh Market, at Durgiana Temple, outside mazars and other religious places in the city.
