At least 16 people have died due to suspected heatstroke in seven districts in Telangana this summer so far, while no deaths have been reported in neighboring Andhra Pradesh despite 319 cases of heatstroke being reported in that state, officials familiar with the matter said on Saturday.
In a review meeting held by state Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Saturday, officials informed him of the deaths in seven districts.
“Jayashankar Bhopalpally district reported four deaths, while Warangal Urban, Karimnagar and Nizamabad districts recorded three deaths each. One death was reported in Gogulamba Gadwal, Rangareddy and Suryapet districts,” an official statement from the minister’s office said.
But an official, who requested anonymity, said that unconfirmed reports from different regions indicated that 34 people had died due to heatstroke as of Friday. The official added, “But the region’s authorities did not confirm whether the deaths were specifically caused by heatstroke.”
The state government announced a donation, the official statement said $4 thousand pounds for each family of the deceased. The Revenue Minister directed officials to expedite the compensation process without delay.
Srinivas Reddy said temperatures in the state have reached alarming levels due to the impact of severe El Niño, which has worsened heatwave conditions. He warned officials against any negligence in protecting public health and directed district administrations to identify mandals and villages recording extreme temperatures and issue advance warnings to residents.
According to the weather bulletin issued by the Telangana State Development Planning Association, several places in 19 districts of the state recorded more than 45 degrees Celsius by 5 pm on Saturday, with Domugudem in Bhadradri Kottagudem district and Dharmapuri in Jagtial district recording a maximum temperature of 46.3 degrees Celsius, followed by 46.2 degrees Celsius at Dahigaon in Komuram Bhim and Muthi in Suryapet district and 46.1 degrees Celsius. Degrees Celsius in Khammam and Tandoor city in Mancherial district.
The rest of the state also witnessed temperatures ranging between 40 and 45 degrees Celsius, according to the bulletin.
Reddy instructed officials to maintain constant vigil as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that heatwave conditions are likely to worsen over the next three days. He directed the district collectors to personally monitor the heatwave conditions and ensure that officials from mandal level to village level field staff remain actively engaged on the ground.
Emergency medical services have been instructed to remain on standby to provide immediate treatment in cases of heatstroke symptoms.
As per the latest IMD forecast, the extreme heatwave is expected to continue till May 26 in Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Khammam, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahabubnagar, Hyderabad and Rangareddy districts. The collectors of these areas were directed to implement special precautionary measures.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) Managing Director Prakhar Jain on Saturday warned residents to remain alert as extreme temperatures persist across the state.
On Saturday, Kanumulu in Krishna district recorded the highest temperature of 45.8 degrees Celsius, followed by Makavarapalem in Anakapally district at 45.5 degrees Celsius, he said. Temperatures above 42 degrees Celsius were recorded in 95 mandals spread across 13 districts.
As per the forecast for Sunday, the intense heatwave is likely to affect 21 mandals, while the heatwave may affect 214 mandals across Andhra Pradesh.
The authority has predicted temperatures ranging from 45 to 46 degrees Celsius in parts of Eluru, Krishna, NTR, Guntur, Bapatla, Palnadu, Markapuram, Prakasam and Nellore districts. Temperatures are expected to range between 42 and 44 degrees Celsius in several areas in Manyam, Alluri Sitharama Raju, Polavaram, Kakinada, Anakapally, Konaseema, East Godavari, West Godavari and Tirupati districts.
The state reported 325 suspected cases of heatstroke between March 1 and May 19, including 96 cases reported since May 1 alone, showing a sharp rise in heat-related illnesses this month. Despite the extreme summer conditions, officials said no heatwave deaths have been officially recorded in the state so far this season.
