Heatwave grips Braj region: Tourists in Agra, Mathura face sweltering conditions
Agra recorded a temperature of 46.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday, while in Mathura, the maximum temperature recorded was 45.6 degrees Celsius on the same day.
The Braj region continues to be in the grip of an unrelenting heatwave, with Mathura, the heart of the region, experiencing a maximum temperature of 47.3 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 30.2 degrees Celsius recorded on Sunday. Meanwhile, Agra recorded a temperature of 46.8 degrees Celsius on Sunday, while in Mathura, the maximum temperature recorded was 45.6 degrees Celsius on the same day.
Such weather has brought tough times for tourists visiting temples in Mathura and Vrindavan, besides monuments in Agra, as they fall prey to the heatwave.
The district administration had earlier issued an alert for a heatwave from May 22 to May 26. Agra is already reeling under an intense heatwave with temperatures soaring as high as 47.7 degrees Celsius.
Monuments in Agra are spread over a vast area and require tourists to walk extensively. This has caused hardships for them, and on Saturday alone, five tourists, including a Non-Resident Indian (NRI), Parveen Sandhu from Birmingham, Great Britain, fell ill at the Taj Mahal. He was provided assistance by staff present at the monument.
There is also a rise in the minimum temperature, and Agra had a minimum temperature above 30 degrees Celsius on Saturday. This has increased the demand for power supply with an increased load.
“There used to be a demand of 455 to 460 Megawatts in summer days, which for the last week has gone up to 490 Megawatts due to the ongoing, unabated heatwave. Extra teams are being deployed to attend to faults, including those of meter and MCB burning, and officials are monitoring the situation,” informed an official spokesperson for Torrent Power Limited, the local franchise dealing with the distribution and maintenance of power supply on behalf of DVVNL in Agra.
The health department in Agra has issued an advisory asking residents to avoid moving out from 12 noon till 3 pm in the daytime. “Light cotton and easy-to-wear dresses should be preferred. Better to cover the head with cloth, cap, or umbrella if one moves out. Drink more and more water and keep water with you while moving,” suggested CMO Agra Dr AK Srivastava.
