The nagar palika of Shahjahanpur, where temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius and above are routine in summer months, is preparing for ice age.Or so it seems.

• SHAHJAHANPUR: The nagar palika of Shahjahanpur, where temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius and above are routine in summer months, is preparing for ice age.

• Or so it seems.In a bizarre acquisition, officials bought a costly snow removal machine, which is now parked in one of its godowns.

• A nagar palika source told TOI on Wednesday that the machine in question is a JCB 170 snowplough used for clearing layers of snow and ice from roads.

• Though municipal authorities refused to share specifications of the machine or its price, on the internet, a snowplough doesn't come for less than $25,000-35,000 (Rs 17-23 lakh).Asked to justify the purchase, nagar palika executive engineer Munendra Rathore said with a straight face that authorities should be prepared to tackle all situations.

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