With mercury is soaring up constantly and temperature is almost touching 45 degrees Celsius in parts of Gujarat over the past one week, at least 17 people reportedly died of heat stroke.
The State’s biggest city, Ahmedabad is continuously reeling under extreme heat wave with temperature hovering around 43 to 45 degrees Celsius in the past eight days. Same is the case with the two other cities — Rajkot and Vadodara. People in other cities including Surendra-nagar, Bhuj, Deesa, Gandhinagar, Bhavnagar and parts of North Gujarat and Kutch are also experiencing severe heat.
Sources in the State Health department said that instructions have been given to all the major Government hospitals to make special arrangements to attend patients affected with heat-stroke. Sources in VS Hospital and civil hospital in Ahmedabad said that at least 45 patients with heatstroke were treated and 12 are still admitted in last three days. ORS packets were distributed in all slums in Ahmedabad by medical link workers.
Busy roads of Ahmedabad wore deserted look in the afternoons. Even public transport buses are running almost empty during the period. “On Wednesday hottest June day registered in the past 114 years in Ahmedabad with mercury crossing 45 degrees Celsius,” said a senior official with Indian Meteorological Department. Doctors have advised people to avoid going out if possible during 1 pm to 5 pm.
Meanwhile, prevailing heat-wave condition has forced several schools in the State, especially in Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar and Northern parts of Gujarat to reschedule their vacations and working hours. New academic year of most of the schools were supposed to start on June 9, but many schools have extended vacation period for a week.
The weather officials said that there is no respite likely as heat-wave conditions will persist for next three to four days.