EC on countering heat

Election Commission has directed that precautionary measures should be taken to ensure that the heat did not affect the voters.

With the mercury on the rise, the Election Commission has directed that precautionary measures should be taken to ensure that the heat did not affect the voters, official sources said here on Saturday.

The directive laid down that sheds should be constructed at every polling booth as the polls were being held at the height of summer.

"If vacant houses are available near the booths, they should be utilised as rest rooms for the voters and drinking water stocked in each booth along with ORS packets to treat if there was any case of sunstroke", the sources said.

Leaflets containing do's and don'ts prepared by the district health authorities would be distributed to inform people about methods to escape the heat and also to treat victims.

Teams of paramedics would also be touching the booths every hour. The voters had been advised not to bring children along to the booths, the sources said.