Heat Wave, Red Alert: CM Naidu Orders Holidays in Extreme Situation

Vijayawada: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday directed officials to declare local holidays in areas recording extremely high temperatures.

He said public safety must remain the government’s top priority during the present heatwave conditions. “Officials must remain on high alert and take urgent steps to protect the people from soaring temperatures.”

Reviewing the heatwave situation at Amaravati, the CM instructed officials to identify regions recording the highest temperatures and continuously issue warnings and advisories to residents through the media and social media platforms.

He also authorised local authorities to declare holidays in areas experiencing extreme heat conditions.

Officials informed the CM that the heatwave intensity had increased due to severe El Niño conditions. Temperatures, they said, had risen from 45 to 48°C over the past three days, while during the severe El Niño year of 2015, the state had recorded a peak temperature of 50.1°C.

Naidu said officials must ensure the availability of drinking water, buttermilk and ORS packets at crowded locations and public gathering points.

The CM advised elderly people, pregnant women, children and those with health issues to remain indoors between 11am and 4pm. District collectors and mandal-level officials must be fully prepared to tackle the related emergencies.

According to officials, 1,349 heat shelters and cooling centres have been set up in urban areas, while shade arrangements were made at 446 traffic junctions for motorists and police personnel.

Naidu directed the authorities to prevent shortage of drinking water in rural and urban areas and deploy water tankers wherever necessary. Place water troughs and earthen pots for animals and birds affected by the heat, he told them.

Highlighting the long-term need for environmental protection, the chief minister stressed the importance of increasing green cover and improving groundwater levels to reduce the impact of rising temperatures. He cited Annamayya district as an example, noting that it had recorded comparatively lower temperatures than several other districts.

Chief secretary Sai Prasad and senior officials from various departments attended the review meeting.