ERODE: Erode district is under the glare of the blazing summer sun. On Monday, the district recorded a temperature of 109.4 degrees Fahrenheit (43° Celsius), say India Meteorological Department data.
Erode was the third hottest city in India on Monday as per the IMD figures. The rising heat has forced many to stay at home. Workers have been hit hard. Schools have been urged to give holidays for students attending special classes.
A Sivakrishnan of Nadar Medu in Erode, said, “This year’s heat is more than last year’s. By 11 am I will finish all my work, including buying vegetables, outside. After that I leave the house only after 6 pm. As much as possible, I don’t go outside during the day. If necessary, I will go with an umbrella. Even at night, the air is warm. We can’t sleep at night even if we turn on the fan. The air from the fan is also hot. Children are the most affected.”
S Kulendran, a painting contractor of Erode, said, “Now it is very sunny during the day. So we start work at 6 am. We work outside the building from 6 am to 10 am. After that, we go inside the building. At unavoidable times we work outside following the shadow of the building. At present, workers tire quickly when working outdoors. This slows down the work. They work by taking little breaks. There is no other way. We try to get rid of fatigue by drinking juices and cold water.”
K Sekar, a construction worker of Thingalur, said, “We don’t stop working even if it is hot. If we take some rest it will affect our wages. But we tie a towel around our heads to protect ourselves from the sun. We drink water often. We bring lemon juice from home. We add curd and buttermilk to the midday meal.”
S Saranya, North Traffic Inspector of Erode, said, “Even in the scorching heat, the traffic police do their duty without fail. Necessary hand gloves, caps etc. have been provided to the traffic police. Fruit juice was given during the day to beat the heat as advised by our higher officials. It was interrupted due to the election. Providing fruit juice to the traffic police again is under consideration. Our higher officials have advised us to stand and work under umbrellas during off-peak hours.”
At the same time, there has been a demand to declare holidays for schools in Erode immediately.
M Yuvaraja, State President of the Youth Wing of Tamil Maanila Congress, on Tuesday, said, “Amidst the scorching heat in Erode, the examinations in schools and colleges have not yet been completed. Some schools run special classes. The district administration should immediately declare a holiday for all these activities. Examinations and special classes can be held as the heat wanes.”
Officials of the IMD (Salem Region) said, “The weather in Erode is hotter than expected. Erode recorded a temperature of 109.4 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday. On Tuesday, it was 108 °F (42.2° C). One of the reasons for this is that there are no clouds.”
Officials from the district administration said, “Erode has been experiencing extreme heat for the last 20 days. The public has been advised to protect themselves from the heat. People should avoid going out of their houses during the day unnecessarily.”