VIJAYAWADA: Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha on Tuesday directed officials to take all necessary precautionary measures to prevent loss of human and animal lives due to rising temperatures and heat waves in the State.
The minister held a meeting at the office of the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) in Tadepalli to assess the State’s preparedness for extreme summer conditions. District collectors, officials from line departments and disaster management authorities participated in the meeting. During the meeting, the minister unveiled the “Heat Wave Action Plan-2026”.
Anitha emphasised that protecting human life must be the top priority for officials in view of the increasing heat intensity and heat wave conditions across the State. She instructed departments to implement the action plan in a coordinated manner with the goal of ensuring zero human and animal casualties during the summer season.
The minister directed district collectors to regularly disseminate heat wave alerts issued by APSDMA and the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) so that people remain vigilant. She said all departments should work together to ensure that not a single life is lost due to heatstroke.
Anitha instructed officials to reschedule outdoor work and avoid activities between 12 noon and 4 pm, when temperatures are usually at their peak. Special care must be taken for labourers, elderly persons and children. The Health Department was asked to keep special beds, medicines and ambulances ready in hospitals.