As padayatra enters second day, scorching sun sears Congmen

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

The relaunched Mekedatu padayatra demanding implementation of the balancing reservoir project at Mekedatu in Ramnagar district entered the second day on Monday but the severe heat seems to be playing spoilsport with the padayatris drenched in sweat and many of them preferring the shade rather than the scorching sun.

corching sun. On Sunday, the enthusiastic crowd had accompanied their leaders from the starting point after AICC General Secretary in charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala flagged off the event. The heat also slowed down the speed of the padayatra with many of the yatris gulping down gallons of water kept on the roadside as the conditions became unbearable for them. After 1 pm, the number of walkers became less and there were only a few hundreds marching with their leaders.

A local journo told News Trail that the summer sun is making people tire very fast. During the first round of the padayatra in January, the weather was bearable but not now as it has become unbearable for everyone. With age catching up, senior leaders like CLP Leader Siddaramaiah, D.K. Shivakumar, H K.Patil, Eshwar Khandre, M.B.Patil and others also looked pretty tired after walking 5-6 km directly under the sun.

The Congress leaders want to complete the padayatra in the next three days so that they can sit back and take a break before the coming budget session which would begin on March 4 and end on March 28.