Thick fog envelopes city

Nikhila Pant Dhawan

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, December 17

Following snowfall in the higher reaches of the Himalayas, Bathinda residents have started experiencing the chill. A thick blanket of fog enveloped the region this morning.

Though the sun shone brightly throughout the day, the residents experienced the chill as the mercury dipped further. While on Tuesday, the maximum temperature was recorded at 18.2 degree Celsius, it fell by four degrees and was recorded at 14.4 degree Celsius on Wednesday. The minimum temperature fell by two degrees and was recorded at 4.5 degree Celsius on Wednesday.

As per the agri-met department of the PAU regional station, Bathinda, due to the thick fog, visibility was reduced to less than 30 metres.

As per the forecast released by the agri-met department, the weather is expected to remain the same for the next 24 hours. The weather is expected to remain the same on Thursday.

Farmers happy with change in weather

The cold weather has cheered up farmers. Agricultural experts said the cold wave was beneficial for the cultivation of wheat. However, if it rains, that would not be good for the crop.

The experts also said the chill was good for the kinnow belt and even light rainfall would not cause any harm to kinnows.

Sale of woollens up

With a dip in temperature, the sale of woollens has increased. “While in the first week of December we were not happy with the sales, the sale of woollens has shot up significantly since the last week. As temperature came down, overcoats and jackets are much in demand,” said Gagan Ahuja, owner of an apparel store in Dhobi Bazar. The cold wave has also given a boost to the sale of electronics items like gysers, heaters, blowers and water heating rods.