Heatwave Plan 2016 for Ahmedabad released, heat-stroke deaths down to 13 from 65 in 5 years

Ahmedabad

With the season of scorching heat around the corner, Mayor of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation Gautam Shah today released Heatwave Plan 2016 for the city to spread awareness about the measures to deal with the deadly heatwave and make appropriate drinking water availability and treatment related arrangements in various parts of the city during the coming summer.

On the occasion Mr. Shah said that the heatwave plan started from 2013 with the help of Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH), Gandhinagar, Natural Resources Defence Council and other institutions was a success as it has brought down the heat-wave related deaths substantially.

He said that in 2010 a total of 274 heat-stroke cases were reported in the city of which 65 died. A year after the implementation of the heatwave plan, in 2014 only 63 such cases were reported with figure of deaths coming as low as to 15. Last year it came down further to 43 (total cases) and 13 (deaths).

As part of the Heatwave Plan 2016, an awareness programme for teachers and students of all the AMC run schools would be started from the fourth week of this month (March). The weather related bulletins and warnings (which was made available to the AMC by Georgia Tech University of the USA till now would be furnished by the IMD, Ahmedabad center now onward) would be promptly forwarded to all the stake holders.

Banners and hoardings in various areas of the city will be erected with do’s and don’t regarding heatwave. At least one mobile drinking water vehicle will be available in each zone. It would be apart from the other Pani ki Parabs started by NGOs and other organizations in various areas. A campaign named Gurmi se Jung Mayor ke Sang will also be started. 10 more temperature and pollution monitoring LCD displays will be put at various places in the city under SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research) project.

The plan also included intensive involvement of various forms of media including social media. Co-ordination with Ahmedabad Medical Association and heat stroke treatment training programmes and seminars are also part of the plan.

– DeshGujarat