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Heat wave hitting Rajasthan's tourism
by Jethmal Sharma
Bikaner:
Sweltering and intense heat wave across northern India has caused
a severe setback to the region's tourism potential. . Rajasthan is one
of the highly preferred tourists' heavens, but temperature is hovering
over 44 degrees centigrade, people have opted to stay indoors. In Bikaner,
hoteliers and local shopkeepers claim that each day, it is getting difficult
to survive without customers. "We have been badly affected by the scorching
heat in Bikaner. Business has taken a backseat. The heat wave continues
to blow across the area, forcing us to close our shops," said Kishan Lal,
Sewak, the owner of a sweetshop. "I run a photostat shop, and everyday,
we face a shortage of electricity. Customers are also having a tough time
due to the excessive heat," said Sushil Sharma, a photostat shop owner.
Residents and domestic tourists prefer to stay at home and consume cold
drinks to quench their thirst brought on by the heat wave. "Summer is
at its peak. With rising temperatures, it is difficult to survive here.
The heat wind blows here till eight o' clock in the night. We are facing
excessive heat conditions for the past many years," said Praveen, a resident.
"I have come here from Mumbai to attend relative's marriage. We are surviving
on cold drinks and buttermilk. We are not planning to come back here in
this summer season again," said Imtiyaz, a resident of Mumbai. The frequent
power cuts adds to the misery of all. The searing heat wave has claimed
the lives of 44 people so far in Rajasthan. Six more people are reported
to have died in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
-May 15, 2006
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