A feel of spring in summertime
Bhubaneswar: By every measure, the pandemic has changed how we would have enjoyed the summer.
The joy of a summer holiday, a perfect time to take a trip to a hill station; away from the gruelling heat, can no longer be seen. This summer is like no other.
Even the summer ailments that people used to get after eating out will not bother this time.
This year’s summer is different in ways more than one, with people gradually accepting new behavioural changes.
In the previous years, the temperature in the state generally crossed the 40°C mark by the first week of May. But this year, there is respite, thanks to Covid-19. The weather has been quite pleasant with the temperature hovering much below the normal. Doctors said the usual spurt in summer ailments were missing.
H R Biswas, director of the India Meteorological Department, Bhubaneswar centre, said, “Thunderstorm activities in the state are more than usual, which is causing rainfall and hailstorm in different parts of Odisha. It is keeping the temperature below the normal.”
Biswas added, “This apart, natural variations in weather conditions occur every year. The summer of 2012 was pleasant, while it has been harsh in recent years. The difference between day and night temperatures increased owing to the significant drop in the pollution index.”
At the onset of the pandemic, the government ordered the closure of all schools, which would have otherwise remained opened till May 2 — the start of the summer vacation. As a result, children have moved to e-classes.
A homemaker, Supriti Mishra, said, “Every year, we visit a hill station or a cooler place once the schools are closed for the summer vacation.” “We don’t know if travelling will be normal again,” she added.
Hospitals across the state have received fewer patients suffering from viral fever, common cold and cough, diarrhoea or any stomach-related ailment.
“Common diseases have faded owing to a dip in the pollution level. This apart, people are being careful and maintaining hygiene. They are wearing masks and not eating outside. As a result, they are not suffering from any kind of viral and other infections. The death rate too has drastically gone down,” Dr Dhananjay Das, deputy superintendent of Capital Hospital, said.
Against the daily inflow of more than 3,000 patients at the out-patient department (OPD) of Capital Hospital, the number has dropped to 500 to 600 amid the lockdown.