THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid soaring temperatures, and heatstroke claiming lives in the state, the government on Saturday issued a set of directives to mitigate the effects of heatwave conditions, especially in public places that are most vulnerable.
The directives, including curbs on public programmes, were issued following a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and attended by ministers, top bureaucrats and the State Police Chief.
On Saturday, the state reported three suspected sunstroke cases, including two deaths. A 70-year-old man, who was living alone, was found dead in the compound of his house in Pattambi in Palakkad in the afternoon. In another suspected sunstroke case, an 85-year-old man was found dead in his farmland at Kunnikode in Kollam. According to officials, the exact cause of death in these cases can be confirmed only after autopsy.
Meanwhile, the high-level meeting has decided to ensure availability of drinking water, Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) and heatwave-related first aid facilities in public places such as markets and bus stands. Facilities to provide shade from the sun will be set up on a temporary basis at public places and the stoppage duration at traffic signals will be curtailed by district collectors if required in consultation with the police and traffic management authorities.
KSEB asked to ensure uninterrupted supply
“Strict restrictions will be imposed on public programmes, selection trials, day camps and sports programmes during heatwave warning periods,” the chief minister’s office said in a statement.
To ensure sufficient drinking water, local bodies have been directed to coordinate activities with the Kerala Water Authority. The chief minister directed the KSEB to ensure uninterrupted power supply and to prepare a plan keeping in mind that temperature will increase further in the coming years.
The CM also pointed out that due to the excessive heat, snakes would migrate to cooler areas and therefore, precautions should be taken to prevent them from entering homes or surrounding areas. He directed the health department to ensure that anti-venom is available in more health centres to provide timely treatment in the event of a snakebite, multiple instances of which have been reported in the state in the past few days.
The meeting resolved that water bodies should be cleaned owing to the possibility of an increase in cases of a amoebic meningoencephalitis, a rare brain infection. Launching public campaigns promoting rainwater harvesting and establishing weather monitoring systems with public participation were some of the other recommendations. The CM assured that allocation funds from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for most of such activities would be considered. The health department has been directed to set up permanent heat and burn clinics with advanced facilities in select hospitals.