It's cold outside

It is time we asked ourselves whether we are prepared enough to deal with this annual hazard.

Even as the political mercury continues to rise in the wake of the dissolution of the Lower House of Parliament earlier this week, normal life is being affected by the dip in minimum temperature in several parts of the country, from the high Himalayas to the lowlands of the Tarai. In places such as Mustang, Manang and Jumla, temperatures have dipped below zero degree Celsius, and the Tarai is bracing for a cold wave. And this is just the beginning. The most punishing time for those without the means to survive the cold is yet to come, as most of the cold-related challenges and illnesses occur in January, the coldest month for much of Nepal. It is time we asked ourselves whether we are prepared enough to deal with this annual hazard.