Symbolic picture.
– Photo: ANI
Expansion
In the first phase of Lok Sabha elections, the voting percentage in Aurangabad, Nawada and Jamui was lower compared to the previous elections (2019). This was quite shocking. Some people are calling it indifference in the minds of voters towards candidates and parties. Some are calling it an effect of the weather. At one booth, a polling worker’s nose even started bleeding. The reason given was that he could not bear the extreme heat and hence his health deteriorated. On the day of voting, people were hesitant to go out in the scorching heat. The 42 degree temperature disturbed the voters.
The low voting percentage on April 19 is being blamed on heat and heat wave. There are still 6 phases of voting left in the seven phases. The final phase of voting will take place on June 1. In such a situation, Amar Ujala correspondent talked in detail with Sunil Narayan Thull, Patna Director of Meteorological Department, about the impact of the elections of the year 2019 on weather related issues and the impact of the elections of the year 2024 due to the weather. Director of the Meteorological Department said that the year 2024 is going to be hotter than the year 2019. The first phase of voting has been completed and the weather conditions will be even worse in the coming 6 phases. From the end of April, heat will show its severe form in most parts of Bihar including the capital Patna. In many districts of Bihar, people will have to face problems due to harsh sunlight and heat wave.
In the month of April 2019, the temperature of Gaya was 42 to 45 degrees.
According to the Meteorological Director, in the year 2019, the maximum temperature of Gaya had gone up to 44.9 degrees. The weather department of Bihar has divided the geographical situation of weather into two parts. He clarified that the upper part of Ganga is divided as northern part and the lower part is divided as southern part. In the northern part, there are districts situated in the foothills of the Himalayas including Purnia, while in the southern part there are many districts including Gaya, Aurangabad, where there is extreme heat in April, May and June. If we look at the data, in the month of April 2019 in the districts of Bihar, the temperature of Patna district was 37 to 44 degree Celsius, Gaya was 42 to 45, Bhagalpur was 42 to 44, Purnia was 35 to 38, Sabour was 38 to 40, Muzaffarpur 36. It was 39, Chapra 38 to 40, Dehri 40 to 44, Forbesganj 33 to 35, Supaul 35 to 38, Darbhanga 38 to 40 degrees Celsius. Whereas in the year 2019, the temperature in the month of May was 42 to 44 degree Celsius in Patna, Gaya 42 to 45, Bhagalpur 40 to 42, Purnia 35 to 38, Sabour 38 to 40, Muzaffarpur 38 to 40, Chhapra 38 to 40, Dehri 40 to 42, Temperatures were recorded in Forbesganj 35 to 37, Supaul 35 to 37, Darbhanga 38 to 40 degrees Celsius.
People may have to face problems due to heat wave.
The Meteorological Department said that the temperature in April in the year 2024 is likely to be between 38 to 42 degrees. The temperature may go between 42 to 44 in the month of 2024. He told that in the meantime, people may have to face problems due to heat wave from the end of April. Maximum temperature will increase.
See voting percentage of Gaya, Nawada, Aurangabad, Jamui
Voting in the first phase took place on the same four Lok Sabha seats of Bihar where voting was held in 2019. This time the vote percentage fell flat. Even half the voters did not vote. In the last elections, on an average 53.47 percent votes were cast on these four seats of Bihar, this time this percentage could reach only 48.23 percent as per the estimates before the final figures of the Election Commission. According to Chief Electoral Officer HR Srinivas, this time the highest turnout was in Gaya at 52 percent, Jamui and Aurangabad at 50-50 percent. The lowest turnout was in Nawada at 41 percent. In the 2019 elections, a total of 53.47 percent voting took place on these four Lok Sabha seats. There was 49.33 percent voting in Nawada, 56.16 percent in Gaya, 55 percent in Jamui and 53.63 percent in Aurangabad.