Amaravati, March 10 With rising temperatures across the state ahead of summer, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha on Tuesday directed officials to take precautionary measures to prevent loss of human and animal life due to heatwaves.
The minister instructed officials to implement department-wise action plans and asked collectors to continuously inform the public about heatwave alerts issued by the Disaster Management Authority and Real Time Governance Society (RTGS).
"Officials should work with the primary responsibility of protecting people's lives and ensure that not even a single life is lost due to heatstroke," Anitha said in an official release.
The home minister also called for rescheduling outdoor work between noon and 4 pm and advised authorities to take special precautions for workers, elderly persons, and children.
She instructed the medical department to keep special beds, medicines, and ambulances ready in hospitals to treat people affected by heatstroke.
Cooling shelters should be set up at bus stands, markets, junctions, tourist locations, and other public places, Anitha said.
She also called on NGOs and community groups to distribute buttermilk and drinking water.
To prevent harm to livestock due to heat, water troughs in villages should be regularly filled using tankers, and farmers should be advised on proper fodder management for cattle.
Anitha also directed electricity department officials to ensure uninterrupted power supply for domestic needs during the summer.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) Managing Director Prakhar Jain said higher-than-normal temperatures are likely in Central Andhra and Rayalaseema regions and urged officials to remain prepared based on experiences from last summer.