Dhenkanal chills out with cool

DHENKANAL: People of this small town are guzzling down lassi, fruit juices and cold drinks to beat the heat. This was quite evident in the last five days with the temperature spiralling beyond the 40 degree Celsius mark.
During hot afternoons, people can be seen jostling for space near lassi shops, watermelon and sugarcane juice makers to quench their thirst in the afternoons and evenings.While the townsfolk prefer the cold drinks, tribals opt for handia. "The scorching heat has completely spoiled my summer vacation. I cannot go out anywhere. When I go out with my parents in the evenings, I love to have a glass of lassi," a school student Debasish Mishra said.
And, those selling lassi, fruit juices and cold drinks are making hay while the sun shines, literally. As many as 30 shops selling fruit juices and lassi have come up in the town. "Every year I sell lassi during summer and earn about Rs four lakh. Over 1,000 customers come to my shop everyday. Last month, I earned Rs 1.2 lakh and hope to earn more this month as the temperature is rising," owner of a lassi shop Bijay Mishra said.
Meanwhile, tribal are loving their indigenous liquor called "handia". Apart from cooling the body, handia also provides energy. It is mainly consumed by the Santhals and Mundas. Daily-wage labourers also like it for its energy-giving properties. Gauging the demand, tribals have started selling handia.
Over 200 tribals have started selling handia in makeshift stalls or under trees on both sides of roads in Kankadahads block of the district. "I earned Rs 3500 last month by selling handia," a tribal woman of Dangapal village Madhuri Munda (28) said. She has been selling the country liquor for the last eight years. Though I sell it at the local haat throughout the year, the demand is very high during summer, Munda said. More and more people want to have it with the mercury rising, she added. "Country liquor comes cheap. A bottle of handia costs Rs 5 while beer is priced at Rs 80 per bottle. One can beat the heat by having handia. It also gives me energy," said Laxman Munda, a handia consumer.
Meanwhile, some SHGs are making squashes and selling them. "We sell bottles of squash like pineapple, mango, pudina, ginger, bael, lemon, orange and others and there are many takers," a SHG member Sabitri Sukla said.