‘Heat stress played major role in Karur stampede, daytime rallies must be banned’: Environmental group
TIRUCHY: Environmental group Poovulagin Nanbargal has urged the state government to ban daytime political rallies between February and October and called on the union government to classify extreme heat as a disaster under the Disaster Management Act. The appeal follows the group’s study, which found that heat stress was a major factor in the Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives. It also called for ban on roadshows that force people to wait for hours in heat without shade or water.
In its recommendations released on Friday, the group suggested that public events be held only after 6 pm or indoors, with shaded areas and at least two litres of water provided for every attendee. It also sought the introduction of heat-safety protocols and early Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) alerts, similar to flood warnings.
The study was conducted using weather data, crowd density analysis, and thermophysiological models to assess heat impact. Researchers found that extreme heat and overcrowding at the TVK rally in Karur created “uncompensable stress conditions,” with UTCI levels exceeding 38°C, resulting in people feeling faint and exhausted hours before the crowd surge began.
The report noted that thousands were packed into narrow streets without ventilation, water, or shade, where crowd body heat and humidity trapped air circulation, forming what it termed a “closed thermal chamber”. It described the Karur tragedy as a “climate warning” and cautioned that such conditions are becoming more frequent due to rising temperatures.
