Day 23: Protesting farmers install more tents as temp drops to 3°C

Protesting farmers at the Singhu border are making arrangements to install waterproof tents to protect them from the cold weather conditions.

Farmers' protest against the three farm laws passed by the Centre has entered its 23rd day on Friday.

"We are preparing ourselves for a longer stay as our fight against black laws will continue. It's getting colder, so we're putting more tents," said a protester.

"PM should talk to the farmers and take back the farm laws. We will not give up our fight against these laws," said Dayal Singh, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Punjab.

While the protesters including women, children and senior citizens remain at the Singhu border amid chilly weather, they have started facing difficulties as the national capital's temperature dips down.

Preparations are underway for setting up a long tent here to protect the protesters from the cold weather conditions.

"This agitation will go on for long, we have women, children and senior citizens with us so we are preparing a long tent to save them from this cold weather," said Salwinder Singh, farmers' leader.

Meanwhile, Delhi is likely to record another 'severe' cold day on Friday as frosty winds from snow-covered Western Himalayas continue to sweep the national capital, the India Meteorological Department said.

The city had recorded a 'severe' cold day on Thursday as the maximum temperature dropped to 15.2°C, seven notches below normal and the lowest this season so far.

On Friday, the Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, recorded a minimum temperature of 4.4°C.

The Palam weather station registered a low of 3.4°C.

A 'cold day' is when the minimum temperature is less than 10°C and the maximum temperature is at least 4.4°C below normal.

A 'severe' cold day is when the maximum temperature is at least 6.5 notches below normal.

'Cold wave' conditions are predicted in Delhi on Saturday and the cold spell is likely to continue till Monday, the IMD said.

For the plains, the IMD declares a cold wave when the minimum temperature is 10 degrees Celsius or below and is 4.5 notches less than normal for two consecutive days.

However, for small areas such as Delhi, a cold wave can be declared if the criteria is fulfilled even for a day, officials said.

Hundreds of farmers have been protesting on different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws- Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

-- with inputs from PTI