State govt chalks out action plan to curb deaths due to heatwaves

Mumbai: With rising temperatures claiming dozens of lives in Maharashtra over the last few years and the number of heatwaves affected districts going up — from seven to 13 — the state government has chalked out an action plan to curb deaths due to mercury’s rising and give respite to vulnerable people

Mumbai: With rising temperatures claiming dozens of lives in Maharashtra over the last few years and the number of heatwaves affected districts going up — from seven to 13 — the state government has chalked out an action plan to curb deaths due to mercury’s rising and give respite to vulnerable people.

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Among some of the measures that the government has planned; the district administrations have been directed to change the timings of the schools, the working hours of vulnerable labourers, to avoid load shedding during afternoon and to reserve separate wards in government hospitals for the people affected by heat.

Maharashtra reported about 25 deaths and 374 cases of heat stroke last year in April and May. The cases were highest since 2016 amid the highest temperatures recorded in the recent past in some of the Vidarbha districts last year.

The state government has also directed the health machinery to notify the deaths of the heat strokes that generally go unaccounted and are registered under other heads (causes). The government is in the process of issuing a detailed guideline for the precautions and measures to be taken by various departments at the district level.

“There has been a rise of half a degree centigrade in the Arabian Sea in the last 30 years. The number of districts that are prone to the heatwave has gone up to 13 from seven in the last few years. However, our guidelines are applicable to all the 36 districts in the state,” said Appaso Dhulaj, director, disaster management cell.

“The district administrations have to observe the rise in the temperature and prepare an action plan to be implemented between March 1 and June 15,” added Dhulaj. The 16-point action plan prepared by the state government also mandates compulsory reporting of the heat stroke cases and deaths that otherwise go unrecorded.

“The deaths due to heat strokes are reported under the head of cardiac arrest or other causes. The medical officers avoid registering heatwave as the cause to avoid further administrative compliance. However, we have directed the district administrations to register such cases by checking the history of the patients. It would help us in assessing the situation in various districts,” said Dhulaj.

The action plan also mandates for changes in the work timing for employment guarantee scheme, schools, creation of make shift ponds for animals, painting roofs of the government buildings and slums with white among others.