On Monday, the state recorded a sharp dip in temperature. Naliya was the coldest place in Gujarat with a temperature of 7°C. Deesa, Gandhi Nagar had a minimum temperature of 8°C, second coldest while Kandla reaches 9°C.
Meanwhile Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Sur Nagar recorded 11°C according to the data of the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC).
Tourists at Mount Abu and potato growers in the valley appear to be the only happy faces who seem to be enjoying the season’s biting cold at minus 3 degree Celsius on Saturday, with the mercury plunging to chilling points at subzero temperatures.
Residents of Banaskantha district’s Deesa town, on the other hand, are grumbling under an intense cold wave that only gets worse with each gust of chilly wind blowing in from the north, causing temperatures to plummet to 9.6 degrees, the lowest of the winter season.
Aside from Banaskantha, districts like Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Aravalli, and Patan have also been hit hard by the cold, forcing residents to stay indoors or warm around roadside bonfires. The weather service, on the other hand, does not expect any relief from the cold spell, as temperatures are expected to plummet even further due to heavy snowfall in north India’s upper reaches.
According to sources, school attendance has been low, even in the alternate day system, as the weather has gotten colder and parents have been hesitant to send their children out in the cold for fear of contracting a cold.
Potato growers, on the other hand, are overjoyed because the cold weather is perfect for Rabi crops. The current winter is suitable for Rabi cultivation, according to the agriculture department’s deputy director.
He claims that even if mercury levels continue to fall, the crop will benefit. However, he stated that the total area for potato sowing has decreased by 5,000 hectares due to farmers’ inability to afford the rising seed prices. Potatoes have been planted on about 60,000 hectares, with other Rabi crops planted on 4,95,494 hectares.