Heatwave kills more than 500 across country

Deaths due to famines and diseases might have come down in India, but weather is turning out to be a deadly killer. If cold wave claimed 785 lives till March, a ferocious heatwave has taken away the lives of more than 500 people across India over the last few days.

The toll in Prakasam district in Andhra Pradesh alone was 57c on Monday. The state recorded 302 deaths. The combined figure in AP and Telangana were 517. Met officials warn that the temperatures are likely to soar.

"The heatwave is likely to continue in the next 3-4 days, with temperatures ranging between 44 and 45, with some areas crossing 45. Eastern UP is likely to see a jump in temperatures, especially in isolated pockets," said R Vishen of the Met department.

With temperatures inching closer to 50, Khammam in Telangana recorded the maximum temperature this season with 48 on Sunday. Delhi recorded the hottest day of the sweltering season on Monday at 45.5, five notches above the season's average. A brief shower cooled the city for a while, but failed to bring down temperatures.

In Odisha, where a deadly heatwave claimed the lives of more than 2000 people in 1998, the death toll due to sun strokes and dehydration was 27 till Monday evening. The highest temperature was recorded at Angul district (47).

In UP, Allahabad was the hottest at 47.7c, followed by Banda at 46.6C , and Sultanpur at 46 . State Met director JP Gupta said that there are possibilities of squall or dust thunderstorms due to "overheating".

"Humidity levels have gone up due to the entry of moisture-laden easterly winds in the state's atmosphere," he said.

In AP and Telangana, chief ministers N Chandrababu Naidu and K Chandrashekhar held emergency meetings and urged district authorities to come up with water and buttermilk outlets for citizens, along with fodder for animals. "Govt machinery should organise night shelters and shades for destitute living in bus shelters and platforms as they were the immediate casualties," said Telangana CM K Chandrasekhar Rao.

CM N Chandrababu Naidu declared a compensation of of Rs 1 lakh for the victims, and directed officials to organise special camps providing shelter, food and drinking water besides medicare, like OR packets.

The unprecedented heat wave hit tobacco and chilli crops as crops lay in the open market yard for want of cold storage space. Mango crops in Kurnool, Krishna and Nizamabad districts were the worst hit.

In Kolkata, the trademark yellow taxis refused to ply between 11am and 4pm from this week onwards due to the scorching weather, after two drivers were reported dead last week due to heat.

The poor and the homeless bore the brunt. According to the latest data from the Zonal Integrated Police Network, under the Union ministry of home affairs, 785 unidentified bodies were recovered in the capital till March 30 this year due to the cold.

According to a 2011 study, Weather and Death in India, conducted by economists and weather experts from MIT, LSE and USCB, India, along with the Philippines and Cambodia, were most affected by weather killings. "The citizens of rural India still live in a world where inclement weather can significantly elevate mortality. The fact that the weather will likely become more inclement via global warming is then likely to pose particular challenges to these poor, rural settings," read the study.

The National Disaster Management Authority, which was in the process of issuing an advisory, said that with precautions the toll should not rise. "The experience is that once there is a spike in death toll and advisories are released and there is awareness, the death toll goes down," said NDMC member Kamal Kishore. "The spike in death is due to a mix of things. People do not adjust their daily activities as per the sudden rise in temperatures since last week."

Met officials said that southwest monsoon winds are travelling towards Kerala, and are expected to arrive sometime near May 30. To stay safe, Vishen said it is best to avoid being outdoors at peak hours. "The time between 12pm and 5pm is when the heat is worst, and people must try to avoid being outdoors, or must stay under shades. Heads must be covered at all times outdoors, and one must stay hydrated," he said.