Mahabubnagar: Scramble for shade as mercury soars

Mahabubnagar : With summer heat hovering around 39-40 degrees Celsius ever since the onset of April, the Mahabubnagar district administration has issued instructions to district health department and school education department. It also urged the general public, especially farming community, to be cautious and not venture out during the day.

The schools in the district have rescheduled their timings. All schools including the central government Kendriya Vidyalaya have decided to change their school timings from 7 am to 1.30 pm. On Tuesday, the temperature in Mahabubnagar touched 40 degrees Celsius and according to the meteorological department, heat may further rise as the summer season reaches its peak from mid April to May and until the first week of June.

Keeping in view the growing heat wave in the district, the district administration asked various departments such as health, education, child welfare, irrigation, water supply and agriculture departments to be on alert and take necessary precautions to save people from the scorching heat.

Collector Ravi Nayak asked the medical and health department officials to create awareness in the villages to ensure that necessary precautions are followed, especially for young children and the elderly, as temperatures have gone up during the day.

On this occasion, the Collector reviewed various issues and made suggestions. He directed the district medical and health department to take special measures to avoid sunstroke as the day temperatures have increased in summer, to keep ORS packets suitable for ‘Basti’ hospitals and urban health centres, to ensure that 300 (ORS) packets are available with every ASHA worker in the villages, and to ensure that no one gets affected by sunstroke.

He said adequate precautions should be taken to ensure that ors packets are made available to the labourers working under the Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme and not to get affected by heat stroke. Directing to the Agriculture and Marketing officials, the collector directed them to provide all facilities including Sheds, Tents for shade, potable water and at least 150 ORS sachets, so that the farmers do not have to suffer at the paddy procurement centers.