Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :
Ishwardi has been experiencing intense heat for more than a week. Prevailing temperature is above 40 degrees. On Sunday, the temperature was recorded at 42 degrees. A hot wind blows like the ‘lu’ wind of the desert region. There is no comfort anywhere outside the home. People’s life has become boring due to intense heat and scorching heat. Still, people have to go out of their homes to earn a living. People flock to mobile lemonade and sharbat shops for a little respite from the unbearable heat. Due to the increase in demand, mobile lemonade and sharbat shops have been established at every corner of the road. In intense heat, the number of sellers of drinks including syrup, lemon water and juice has increased.
There were 5-6 shops in the rickshaw stand, in front of the municipal market and at the bus terminal, but now the number of shops has increased to 50-60. Mobile lemonades and sharbats are being sold from the Alhaj junction of the city, through the railway gate, in the bazaar and college road, a few yards away. The sellers who used to sell sherbet for 800-1,000 taka a day, is now selling 3,000 to 4,000 taka a day.
As the day progresses, the temperature increases. Also the crowd of people of all ages is increasing in these shops. Lemon syrup sellers said that lemon syrup mixed with lemon, tang, and beet salt is being sold at different prices. A glass of lemon syrup mixed with cold water mixed with a piece of lemon juice, a bit of salt, tang and ice is being sold for Tk 20-25. 30 taka sold with cold water with jaggery.
In the meantime, the prices of lemon, bell and dab have increased. In Ishwardi, which is famous for lemon cultivation, the price of lemon has always been low, but this time it has increased three times. 15 taka Hali lemon is not available below 40 taka. Depending on the size, the price of bales was from 20 to 60 rupees. Now the price has increased from 50 to 120 taka. From Tk 80 to Tk 120, Dub has become Tk 120 to Tk 160.
Sharmin Akhter Mimi, a girl from Rajapur village and a student of Ishwardi Mahila College, came to the lemonade shop, unable to bear the intense heat, to shop in the market. Mimi says it feels like the body is burning. In heat and thirst, the condition is like going out of life. Drinking lemon juice brought some relief. I got calm after drinking a glass.
Van driver Shahabul said that it is difficult to drive a van in this summer. Throat is becoming dry. It is very good to eat sharbat, the body is also good. Moinul, a traveling sherbet seller, said that the demand for lemon sherbet has increased during the intense heat. Earlier 150-200 glasses were sold in a day. More than a thousand glasses are now being sold with a lot of demand.