The Hindu : Sunstroke toll goes up to 576

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 30, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Sunstroke toll goes up to 576

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD May 29. Death has another name in Andhra Pradesh. Sunstroke.

The unprecedented and unabated heat wave sweeping across the already drought-stricken State has taken a heavy toll of human life.

On Thursday, the death roll on account of sunstroke crossed the 576-mark and looked set to go higher as there was no let-up in the scorching intensity of the sun and the accompanying hot winds. Its impact on cattle and other animals is yet to be assessed. For better part of the month, several towns saw day temperatures climbing upwards of 42-44 degrees C and going stronger. The coal mine town of Kothagudem had been reportedly maintaining a steady 50 degrees C for the past one week. Nalgonda district crossed the century mark accounting for 131 casualties followed by East Godavari with 85. Among the dead is a Muslim girl of Hyderabad married a week ago. Hot winds blow till late in the evening. Met Office here disputed the recordings at Kothagudem.

Three years of successive drought has wrought havoc on the economy as well as to rural life. The prevailing drought also brought in its wake acute drinking water and fodder shortage. With lakes and wells drying up and groundwater levels dipping, `water riots' broke out in some places.

Osmansagar and Himayatsagar reservoirs, major sources of drinking water needs of Hyderabad, are drying up and the storage is barely adequate for a fortnight.

Weather people attribute the continuing hot spell to absence of summer showers. Never had the heat spell lasted this long. Reports that the onset of monsoon would be delayed by a week or more have dashed hopes of an early respite.

Andhra Pradesh is going through `Rohini kaarthe', the final and most gruelling phase of the summer. The Met office warned of severe heat wave conditions in the next 48 hours in south coastal Andhra and parts of Telangana. Vijayawada, nicknamed `Blazewada' by the Britishers, recorded the highest day temperature of 47.5 degrees C on Thursday.

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Sunstroke toll goes up to 576