AGARTALA, April 23 (TIWN): Residents of the city appear to be headed for a dry, long and scorching summer as the mercury has started soaring over the past few days.

The region has been in for an early summer as the temperature has been rising steadily over the last 10 days. The past couple of days have turned very hot and dry with the mercury touching 35 degree Celsius which is 3 degrees above normal in Tripura.

 Tripura is recently burning with terrible heat and frequent power cuts has also turn life miserable. The temperature of the State is rising day by day. People fell ill due to the scorching summer heat. Due to this various diseases like diarrhea, dysentery creates havoc in the remotest part of the State.

According to the MET Department, the maximum temperature recorded for the day is nearly 36 degree centigrade while the minimum temperature is 27.5 degree. The temperature will rise further- told MET.

With the arrival of summer, there seems to be a growing patronage among citizens for up market fruit juice stalls selling exotically named milk and fruit concoctions.

Every evening, there are long queues of vehicles parked outside the fruit juice outlets in the city. The preferred drink this season seems to be the so-called `ice-cream' milk shakes, which come in various psychedelic hues. With that the demand of cold drinks also prevails in the State.

Meanwhile, the heat wave took a toll on the city’s health, with doctors reporting a rise in several ailments. Cases of heat exhaustion, muscle cramps, stomach upsets and vomiting are also on the rise. The doctors advised people take in lots of water, salt and sugar and avoid unnecessary exposure to the sun. However with the onset of summer season, various water borne diseases like diarrhea, dysentery affects the people especially in the rural areas.

 Women and girls of the rural parts of the state Tripura bear the burden of walking miles at a time to gather water from streams and ponds full of waterborne disease that is making them and their families sick. And also it is nothing new for the state govt. who always being back tracked from supplying drinking water to the rural Tripura and often says the state is developing fast, in terms of education, and health. Is this called the “Golden Era” that lacks the basic needs for the villagers of the state?