Telangana, AP govts must declare summer emergency, offer ex gratia to heatstroke victims

The Telugu states of Andhra and Telangana reeling under the hot sun with over 47 degree Celsius temperature and over 1800 people being killed by sunstroke this summer season. The unprecedented heatwave prevailing over the two states is unbearable and adding humidity to the temperatures is putting the lives of coastal area residents at risk. Life became parallel and older people, children, pregnant women and last but not the least the working class are bearing the brunt of this heatwave.

Governments of the two states are simply counting the deaths but not doing any exercise to prevent these untimely deaths. What we can't understand is the calm of the governments in spite of such a huge toll on human life. How come governments ignore these deaths. Mere issue of news paper and radio statements such as asking people to stay indoors between 10 AM to 3PM and advising them to take plenty of liquids are not going to save the lives of the people.

How can working class people remain indoors, who will feed them? Who will take care of their daily bread and butter. The people who are dying are not rich enough to stay indoors and eat days together. Governments should provide free mineral water supply at all main road junctions, public offices, bus stands and railway stations. All buses and trains should have free drinking water packets for passengers without any payment. ORS packets should be distributed through rations shops at free of cost. Government should rope in NGOs and private companies to set up water stalls at all public places. These summer deaths should not treated on par with havoc caused by floods, earthquakes and other natural calamities. Since there is no visible direct loss, the governments are ignoring the deaths of people. It's very sad to learn that there is no statement from either chief minister of the Telugu states on payment of ex-gratia to the kith and kin of the people who lost their lives to extreme heat.

All political party and cine audio and film release celebrations with public gatherings must be banned in the state until mercury comes down. It's very painful to see both political leaderships of TDP and TRS ignoring hot summer calling people from all over the state to reach their party meetings. Who will take of daily labourers and their dependents getting killed on roads, trains buses while travelling to these public meetings?

Governments should declare “weather emergency" and take up immediate steps to save the lives of common man such as office timings should be changed in such way that only 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening, all educational coaching institutions should be allowed to work only in the evening times, all contractors of civil projects, quarries and other industries where huge labour forces are engaged in hot sunny weather must be made liable for the safety of their labourers and ensure proper drinking water and food facilities are provided in the site. The department of labour welfare should take up this task and ensure that the lives are saved.

By Raghu bhushan Eranki
Rajahmundry