At least 74 people have died of heatstroke in just two Indian states — Bihar and Uttar Pradesh — during previous 48 hours, Indian Express reported Saturday.
According to the publication, 25 of those who died because of sunstroke were polling staff performing their duties as final phase of elections in India is underway.
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Citing the meteorological department, the Financial Express reported there is a prediction of heatwave in Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, West Rajasthan, East Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Vidarbha, isolated pockets of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, and Yanam.
It is pertinent to mention that India has so far not published nationwide figures for deaths attributed to the current heatwave.
India court seeks heatwave emergency declaration
An Indian court has urged the government to declare a national emergency over the country’s ongoing heatwave, saying that hundreds of people had died during weeks of extreme weather.
India is enduring a crushing heatwave with temperatures in several cities sizzling well above 45°C (113°F).
The high court in the western state of Rajasthan, which has suffered through some of the hottest weather this week, said authorities had failed to take appropriate steps to protect the public from the heat.
“Due to extreme weather conditions in the form of (the) heatwave, hundreds of people have lost their lives this month,” the court said Thursday.
“We do not have a planet B which we can move onto… If we do not take strict action now, we will lose the chance of seeing our future generations flourish forever.”
The court directed the state government to set up compensation funds for relatives of any person who dies as a result of heat ailments.
