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Avert deaths due to heat wave: Hyderabad High Court

TS, AP told to follow to Gujarat, Odisha model

Hyderabad: The Hyderabad High Court has suggested that the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments follow the preventive steps taken by the Odisha and Gujarat state governments to avert deaths due to heat waves.

A division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt made the suggestion while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by one P. Srisailam of Ranga Reddy district challenging the inaction of the governments in taking appropriate measures to protect the lives of people due to heat wave conditions in the states.

K. Sravan Kumar, counsel for the petitioner, brought to the notice of the court that the governments of Odisha and Gujarat had taken several preventive measures by providing shelters, drinking water and ORS sachets at public places to prevent deaths due to heat waves.

He said both the state governments have also undertaken massive public awareness campaigns about the effects of heat waves through print and electronic media.

When the counsels for AP and Telangana sought time for filing a counter affidavit in the PIL, the Bench asked the governments to take preventive measures to avert heat wave deaths instead of filing counter affidavits.

The Bench opined that there was a need to educate people by conducting awareness campaigns on the issue and the governments should give necessary directions to the district collectors in this regard.

The government counsels told the Bench that they would furnish the details and the steps taken by their respective state government before the court by next hearing. The Bench posted the case to November 2.

Aid to Smitha: TS gets three weeks

The Hyderabad High Court has given the Telangana government three weeks to explain why it sanctioned Rs 15 lakh to IAS officer Smitha Sabharwal for meeting her legal expenses in the defamation case filed against the management of Outlook magazine.

A division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice Dilip B. Bhosale and Justice S.V. Bhatt on Tuesday was hearing a Public Interest Litigation by K. Eshwar Rao of the city challenging the GO issued releasing the amount to the IAS officer.

When special counsel Mahender Reddy sought time for filing the counter affidavit, the Bench reminded him that this was the second time that the government was seeking time to file the counter and said that it would only grant it if the counsel assured that this would be the last time.

Sarasani Satyam Reddy, senior counsel appearing for the petitioner, asked the Bench to issue a notice to the IAS officer too and direct her to file the counter affidavit, but the Bench said that her version was not necessary at this stage of the hearing.

( Source : deccan chronicle )
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