Kathmandu December 19 Life in Siraha district has been affected due to the cold wave and the accompanying excessive cold since some days back. Elderly people, children, and laborers are affected the most due to the cold. Less number of people is seen in the markets and public places due to chilly condition resulting from the fog and the cold wind. The daily wage earners who go to work early in the morning have not been able to go to work. The number of students has also decreased at schools with an increase in the cold. The construction workers have said they were unable to go to work due to the cold wave that started after it rained on Friday and Saturday. Patients suffering from cough and cold, pneumonia, diarrhea and asthma have increased at the health institutions, Chief of the District Health Office Siraha, Dr Nagendra Yadav, said. The District Hospital Siraha stated that the number of people coming to the hospital with complaints of cough and cold, pneumonia, diarrhea and bronchitis has increased. Chief District Officer of Siraha Gopal Kumar Adhikari said arrangements have been made for distributing warm clothes to the needy and organizing bonfires at several places in the district in coordination with the local levels.