Heatwave Plan Rolled Out in Telangana

Hyderabad: With temperatures expected to remain high till mid‑June, revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy on Friday directed departments to step up coordinated measures to protect people from heatwave conditions. The move followed criticism over the government’s delay in declaring a heatwave earlier this week.Reviewing preparedness with 20 departments at the Secretariat, the minister released the Telangana Heatwave Action Plan 2026, prepared by the disaster management department and the India Meteorological Department. He stressed uninterrupted drinking water supply over the next 45 days, directing officials to repair burnt motors within 24 hours. In Hyderabad, water is being supplied through 15,000 tankers daily.Departments including panchayat raj, municipal administration, fire and health were told to work in coordination. Collectors must send reports within 15 days on disaster damage, with immediate ex gratia in case of deaths. High‑risk zones identified include Nalgonda, Mancherial, Suryapet, Peddapalli, Jagtial, Khammam, Warangal, Karimnagar and Mahbubabad.The minister ordered cooling shelters, buttermilk centres and ORS supply in hospitals. Fire safety audits and “cool wards” in hospitals were stressed. Workers in high‑heat environments are to be given rotational breaks of one to two hours.Local bodies were asked to arrange shelters, drinking water and awareness campaigns at bus stands, markets, tourist spots and places of worship using public address systems and LED screens. Special teams from NDRF, SDRF, police and revenue departments will monitor vulnerable areas, particularly to prevent accidents involving children near water bodies.



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