1st cold-related death of season reported in Uttarakhand

RUDRAPUR: A middle-aged man, suspected to be mentally-challenged, was found dead near Indira Chowk on the Nainital highway in Rudrapur on Friday.
According to police, this is believed to be the first cold-related death of the season in the state. The man had no injuries, wasn't wearing warm clothes and just had a blanket wrapped around him. The minimum temperature on Saturday was 9 degrees Celsius, a notch below normal.
The meteorological department of GB Pant University in Pantnagar has predicted a further dip in the minimum temperature. "The skies will be cloudy but the weather will remain dry in the days to come. A further dip in both day and night temperatures is expected in a couple of days. Also, dense fog will engulf the region of Terai," said RK Singh of the department.
Meanwhile, the cold-related death, residents said, reveals the apathy of the local civic body, which has failed to arrange enough bonfires across the city yet. An official of the civic body, when queried, said that "funds are in the process of being sanctioned for the bonfires." In December last year, a man in his forties was found dead near a canal on Kichha bypass, and is believed to have succumbed to the cold. Two people died of cold in US Nagar in 2019 as well as 2018.