VIJAYAWADA: The State government has placed all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) on high alert as heat wave conditions intensify across the coastal districts.
Principal Secretary of the MA&UD Department, S Suresh Kumar, has directed Commissioners to activate emergency preparedness measures between May 20 and 26, with special focus on Central and North Coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Authorities have been instructed to launch public awareness campaigns through secretariats, social media, and electronic boards. Drinking water facilities to be set up at bus stands, markets, hospitals, Anna Canteens and other places. Temporary kiosks, chalivendrams, tanker supply points, and cooling shelters will be operationalised in vulnerable areas. Special emphasis has been placed on safeguarding sanitation workers, outdoor labourers, street vendors, homeless persons, and the elderly.
Municipal works are to be regulated during peak heat hours. The Principal Secretary stressed that there must be ‘no slackness in implementation’ and urged proactive measures to prevent heat-related illnesses and fatalities.
Commissioners have been instructed to monitor preparedness daily, while the Commissioner & Director of Municipal Administration (CDMA) and Regional Directors will furnish reports to the government.