Rain affects medical camps, shelters; farmers set up tent near main stage

New delhi: The protesters at the Singhu border and various other places were in for a shock when continuous rains made their already uncomfortable stay at the Capital's gates even more unliveable.

Delhi NCR has been seeing heavy rainfall for three continuous days now, with cold showers on Tuesday as well. The continuous downpour at the Singhu border has created havoc with tents getting wet or getting broken due to winds. The farmers were found taking shelter either in tractors or under nearby buildings and trucks.

However, after the third day of rains on Tuesday, farmers at the main stage, which had thinned out due to the showers, started setting up a large waterproof tent so that the protest activities could go on.

"Some elderly also fell sick. Since the downpour started we have also been witnessing an increase in the number of patients. Either they have been hurt due to the chaotic scenario or are sick by being continuously wet," a doctor at the medical camp said.

Various medical camps had to also be removed due to the showers as most of them did not have a roof. On Tuesday, even as the sun came out the situation remained grim with think mud creating issues for the protesters.

"Although it is better than Sunday as the heavy showers had ruined everything, the situation is still bad. My shoes are literally drenched in mud. It is colder and there is an issue of tents as people like us who are coming from outside to cover the protests have nowhere to go," photographer Mohd Zuber who was at Singhu said.

During the rainfall, the protesters tried to make sure that the tents do not collapse. The issue of hygiene, which already persisted, as local MCDs have refused to clean the areas and protesters do most of the cleaning, has become worse since the downpour. However, the protesters have said that their determination has not gone down. Kashmir Singh, a protester from Patiala said, "We have left home to win and that is what we are going to do. No matter what happens we are not going to move from here till our demands are met. We are ready for the long haul. These small hiccups won't

deter us."

A few protesters around him agreed while one of them said, "The youth have already started working on the renovation work and we are now making sure that the tents are stronger than before."

The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative data for the city, recorded 4.7 mm rainfall between 8:30 am on Monday and 8:30 am on Tuesday.

The weather department said Delhi may witness light to moderate rain, and thunderstorms with winds gusting up to 30 kmph during the day. A hailstorm is also predicted in parts of the capital.

The rains, under the influence of a strong Western Disturbance, come on the back of a 'severe" cold wave that gripped Delhi in the run-up to the New Year.

However, the protesters have said they are ready to give their lives as well. "We have to die back at home as well if this bill comes, so it is better to at least die while doing something," Karnal Singh from Ludhiana said.

A few volunteers at the protest site have said that despite them requesting the government or local officials for help, they have received no reply. "We had been told more toilets will be installed but nothing happened. Earlier we had also told them to clean the roads but they did not show up and instead created issues for us," a volunteer said.

The protesters have refused to move despite the problems, while the farmer leaders have informed on Monday that the agitation is going to be intensified. With no result deferred on the seventh meeting between the farmers and the government, the deadlock has created a tensed environment.