In Darjeeling and Siliguri, global warming is for real.

EOI, DARJEELING / SILIGURI, SEPTEMBER 23, 2024 :  With the temperature recording as high as 28 degrees on Monday, Darjeeling is burning hot, literally. Several tourists traveling up to Darjeeling to seek the cool and pleasant climate have been taken aback by the hot and humid conditions. "Delhi was hot, so I traveled to Darjeeling to enjoy the cool weather. But it is just the opposite. Darjeeling is hot and Delhi is cool at the moment. I could not even complete the joy ride in the toy train because I got off halfway. I purchased an umbrella to protect myself from the rains; however, now I am beating the heat with it. Global warming is for real," said Varsha from Delhi. "I went up to Tiger Hill to see the sunrise today. At around 7 a.m., I was sweating profusely. I suppose this is what climate change is all about," said Saswati from Bangalore.

Many hotels and restaurants have started installing ceiling and pedestal fans in their facilities at the request of the visitors. "It has been very hot for the past couple of days. Several tourists have been complaining of the intense heat and asked for fans. We took notice and immediately installed ceiling and pedestal fans to cool the restaurant," said Rahul Jha, owner of the famous Keventers restaurant located at Nehru Road in Darjeeling.

Experts said the hot and humid conditions in the hills were due to the moisture being drawn away from the region by the low pressure and depression that has formed in the Bay of Bengal and is moving westward across the central parts of the country. Hills residents, not used to the scorching heat, adopted all measures including battery-operated hand fans, shades to protect their eyes, eating ice cream, and drinking juice to stay hydrated, as well as using umbrellas to escape the hot conditions. Kalimpong recorded 30 degrees on Monday while Siliguri was boiling at 40 degrees centigrade. Residents and students in Siliguri are grappling with extreme heat as soaring temperatures continue to impact daily life.

In response to the worsening conditions, Siliguri MLA Shankar Ghosh has formally requested West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu to adjust school hours to run from a.m. to a.m. as many students have been suffering from heat-related illnesses after commuting to school in the sweltering weather.