Heat relents a little, but death toll mounts
Authorities cancel doctors’ leave, ask people to stay indoors
HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI: Hospitals struggled on Friday to keep pace with a deluge of patients seeking treatment for heat wave-related ailments amid an ominous forecast that the brutal hot spell which has claimed over 1,800 people across India could prolong for another week.
Authorities cancelled doctors’ leave and advised people to stay indoors during the day, which remained extremely hot despite overnight rain bringing some relief in several areas.
“Patients are complaining of severe headache and dizziness. They are also showing symptoms of delirium,” said Ajay Lekhi, president of the Delhi Medical Association, describing a common symptom of severe dehydration.
In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, which accounted for 1,774 deaths till Thursday evening, the weather showed signs of relenting but the forecast extended the heat wave warning till Saturday.
Overwhelmed by the heat, people were doing whatever they could to stay cool such as sleeping in the shade, splashing into rivers or the sea in coastal areas and eating onions —a traditional remedy. But some had no choice but to venture into the heat.
“Either we have to work, putting our lives under threat, or we go without food,” farmer Narasimha said in the badly hit Nalgonda district in Telangana.
In Telangana, some previously unnoticed deaths were being recorded now. “It is not just labourers, whoever is exposing themselves to the heat are falling prey to the sun,” said Sada Bhargavi, special commissioner with the Telangana disaster management department.
The Celsius dropped considerably on Thursday in Odisha, where 87 deaths were recorded over the past 10 days. “Heat wave condition may prevail in interior Odisha, but squalls accompanied by hail and gusty wind are predicted in coastal and southern districts,” said SC Sahu, the weather office director in Bhubaneswar.
Delhi was comparatively better at 41.8°C after a comfortable night, which was a notch below normal at 26.1°C.
(With agency inputs)