Local Residents Brave Bone-Chilling Cold as Winter Intensifies in Hilly Kathua(The voice of people news)

KATHUA, JAMMU & KASHMIR — As the calendar turns toward the final days of December, the hilly reaches of District Kathua—including Bani, Billawar, and Lohai Malhar—are firmly in the grip of a severe cold wave. With the onset of Chillai-Kalan, the harshest 40-day period of winter, temperatures in these high-altitude zones have begun to plummet, often hovering near freezing during the late-night and early-morning hours.
​In the absence of modern heating infrastructure in many remote hamlets, the traditional log fire remains the most vital lifeline for the local population.