Rain, chill force New Year revelry indoors in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Dec 31:

Cloudy skies, chilly weather and intermittent rains have dampened the spirits of New Year revellers in Odisha, who had chalked out big plans for celebrations to bid good bye to 2014 and usher in 2015.

Plans for outdoor celebrations, a feature of New Year celebrations all over the state, had to be abandoned in a hurry as rains threatned to spoil the fun.

“We had planned to go on a picnic. But with rain continuing since the morning, we are now planning to celebrate the New Year in a hotel,” said a youth in Bhubaneswar.

Minati Behera, who had planned to celebrate the New Year with her friends at Khandagiri, says she had now abandoned the idea and decided to confine the celebrations to the safety of the home.

The foul weather, however, has failed to deter some. “We will celebrate by dancing in the rain. Aafter all, New Year comes just once in a year,” said a youth.

With the weatherman predicting more rains over the next 24 hours, celebrations planned for tomorrow also appear to be in serious danger of being washed out.

The western Odisha city of Sambalpur will also give New Year celebrations a miss, but for an altogether different reason: the outbreak of jaundice, which has already claimed 19 lives as per official figures.