The Hindu : Mercury shoots up to 49° in Vijayawada

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 01, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Mercury shoots up to 49° in Vijayawada

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD May 31. Nalgonda, East and West Godavari districts crossed the 100-mark, as the death roll due to severe heatwave/heatwave conditions sweeping different regions of Andhra Pradesh rose to 765 on Saturday.

According to reports reaching the office of the Relief Commissioner, here, Nalgonda continued to account for the highest toll, recording 131 deaths. Guntur with 114 deaths was second on the list. The Godavari districts came next with the West (106) overtaking East (103). Prakasam, accounting for 98, was nearing the century mark.

The district-wise death roll is as follows: Krishna 44, Karimnagar 41, Nellore 31, Adilabad 20, Warangal 16, Khammam 14, Chittoor 12, Kurnool 8, Mahbubnagar, Ranga Reddy, Hyderabad five each, Srikakulam, Visakhapatnam four each, Nizamabad three and Cuddapah one.

Meanwhile, with the Met office warning of severe heatwave continuing for the next 48 hours in the South Coastal Andhra Pradesh and parts of Telangana it is feared that the toll go up further.

On Friday severe heatwave/heatwave conditions were experienced in the districts of West Godavari, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and Nellore, parts of Telangana and Rayalaseema. The day's highest temperature of 49 degree Celsius was recorded at Vijayawada airport.

CPI(M) plea: The State Committee of the CPI(M) has demanded ex gratia of Rs. 1 lakh each to the next of the kin of those who have died in the heatwave.

In a resolution adopted at the two-day meeting of the State Committee, it was pointed out that most of the victims of sunstroke were farm labourers taking up works under the Food-for-work programme, rickshaw-pullers and daily wage earners. In most cases, the victims were sole breadwinners. Hence the Government should show concern and pay ex gratia by extending the "Apathbandhu'' scheme to them.

In a statement, B. V. Raghavulu, secretary of the State Committee said in the resolution the negligent attitude of the Government in taking prompt care of those affected by the heat stroke was condemned. There were no proper facilities for those affected by sunstroke and gastroenteritis, at Government hospitals.

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Mercury shoots up to 49° in Vijayawada