Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 25 (PTI) In view of the rising temperatures in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday held a high-level meeting and issued a slew of suggestions, including ensuring uninterrupted power supply, to address the problems caused by the heatwave.
In the online meeting, attended by Ministers K Rajan, K Krishnankutty, A K Saseendran, V N Vasavan, M B Rajesh and Veena George, along with top bureaucrats and the State Police chief Ravada Chandrasekhar, the CM also directed that water availability should be ensured across the state, a statement issued by his office said.
The CM also pointed out that due to the excessive heat, snakes would seek out cooler areas and therefore, precautions should be taken to prevent them from entering homes or surrounding areas.
He directed the Health Department to ensure antivenom is available in more health centers to provide timely treatment in the event of a snakebite, multiple instances of which have been reported in the state in the last few days.
Vijayan said there was also a possibility of an increase in cases of amoebic meningoencephalitis — a rare brain infection caused by Naegleria fowleri, a “brain-eating ameba” found in warm fresh water — in the summer and suggested avoiding bathing and washing the face in unclean water and not using stagnant water sources.
Water reservoirs should be cleaned, he added.
The CM further said that adequate water, oral rehydration solutions, sunstroke first-aid facilities, temporary shade pavilions and water disbursal tents should be available in public places, including markets and bus stands.
He urged employees of health centers, people’s representatives in local bodies, officials, trade unions and voluntary organisations to work in a coordinated manner in this regard, the statement said.
Strict restrictions and prohibitions on public programmes, selection trials, day camps and sports programmes during heatwave warning periods, organising a public campaign promoting rainwater harvesting and establishing weather monitoring systems with public participation, were some of the other recommendations by him.
He assured that allocation of money from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) for most of such activities would be considered.
The Disaster Management authority, KSDMA, was directed to take the initiative to immediately implement the plan prepared for Wayanad district in the first phase and to complete the necessary steps to install rain gauges before this monsoon.
The operational efficiency of the Disaster Management Authority’s warning system, “Kavacham”, should be ensured, he added, according to the statement.
“In addition, the Disaster Management Authority should take the initiative to prepare and implement a plan to install automatic gauges in disaster-prone areas,” he directed.
The Health Department was directed to set up permanent heat and burn clinics with advanced facilities in selected hospitals.
In the meeting, the CM also ordered converting of all Anganwadis in the state into heat-resilient buildings with the use of technologies like the cool roofs, ventilation, etc., the statement said.
“For this, the plan prepared by the KSDMA and the Energy Management Center will be implemented on a war footing in collaboration with the Women and Child Welfare Department and local self-government bodies,” he said.
The local bodies were also directed to prepare local heat action plans with a long-term perspective.
The KSEB was directed to ensure uniterrupted power supply and to make a plan keeping in mind that the temperature will be much more in the coming years in the state and the use of air conditioners will increase.
“Campaigns should be conducted to promote energy-efficient appliances and non-conventional energy sources,” the CM said.
The KSDMA, earlier in the day, said that high levels of utraviolet (UV) radiation continued to be recorded across Kerala.
It also said that maximum temperatures are very likely to be around 40 degrees Celsius at isolated places in Palakkad district, 39 degrees Celsius in Kollam, 38 degrees Celsius in Pathanamthitta, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kasaragod, 37 degrees Celsius in Kottayam, Ernakulam, Malappuram and Kannur and 36 degrees Celsius in Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram districts — all of which are 3 to 4 degrees Celsius above normal — on Saturday and Sunday.
People who work outdoors, fishermen, water transport workers, tourists, people with skin diseases, albinism, cancer patients, and other groups with low immunity have been advised to be careful by the KSDMA, which recommended using hats, umbrellas, sunglasses and wearing cotton clothes that cover the entire body when venturing outside during the day. PTI HMP KH
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