Park,Public Spaces To Stay Open Longer
Updated: Apr 2, 2018, 12.08 PM IST
In order to tackle the heatwave which has arrived this year much earlier than usual, the disaster management department of the state government has issued a circular to the Pune district administration to prepare an action plan to deal with the situation. The department has also for the first time come up with an advisory asking that all public places like parks, community halls, temples and other such establishments should be kept open during the afternoon so that people can take shelter from sunstroke.
As per the meteorological department, this year the heatwave has arrived early with temperatures already having crossed 40 degrees Celsius in some places in the city, a rarity in March. As a result, the department has asked the district authority to initiate preemptive and response measures.
The disaster management department has asked the deputy district collector to work as a nodal officer for implementation of the heat relief measures. He will have the responsibility of alerting the various local government bodies including the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and sensitising them in avoiding any untoward incident during this summer. It has also instructed that the tehisldar will work as a nodal officer at the tehsil level.
Talking to Pune Mirror, Vitthal Banote, district disaster management officer, said, “We have received the circular with the advisory to keep open the public places during the afternoon. As per the suggestions, we will also instruct the local government bodies to provide adequate facility of drinking water (panpoi) in all places under their jurisdiction. We will ensure that there will be no disconnection of power supply in the public health centres and hospitals.”
“We have issued instructions to the health department to be prepared for heat-related medical emergencies at all the district and rural hospitals, and primary healthcare centres. The district administrations have also been asked to conduct training exercises for health workers and launch awareness drives to educate people on ways to avoid heat strokes,” Banote added.
Source : Pune Mirror
