- By Anushka Vats
- Mon, 22 Apr 2024 10:42 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Amid the heat wave situation across the country, the Election Commission of India (ECI) held a meeting on Sunday with concerned agencies to understand the developing weather situation and discuss measures to mitigate any risk due to hot weather conditions during phase 2 of the Lok Sabha Elections that is to take place on April 26. The meeting was chaired by CEC Rajiv Kumar along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu witnessed the presence of the Additional Secretary Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Head of Department, National Disaster Management Authority and DG Meteorology, India Meteorological Department.
While the IMD predicted normal weather for the 13 States/UTs going for polls in Phase 2, the ongoing spell of a heat wave, the second this month, is broiling parts of West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, and Bihar. The intense heat wave scorching large parts of east India will continue for another five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday.
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Decisions Taken During EC Meeting
(CEC Rajiv Kumar along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu)
According to an official statement, the following decisions were taken during the meeting:
- A task force comprising officials from ECI, IMD, NDMA, and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare will review the impact of heat waves and humidity, five days before each polling phase for any concerning developments and mitigatory measures, if necessary.
- Commission directed MoHFW to issue necessary instructions to health authorities in states to prepare for and extend assistance in case of heatwave conditions affecting election operations.
- The Commission will hold a separate review with State CEOs to ensure adequate arrangements at polling stations including shamiyana, drinking water, fans, and other assured minimum facilities, etc. as per its existing advisory dated March 16, 2024.
- IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) activities shall be carried out amongst the public for precautionary measures (Do’s & Don’ts) to mitigate the heat wave impact in polling station areas.
IMD Predicts Four Heatwave In April
The Met Office has stated that four to eight heatwave days are anticipated in various across the country in April contrary to the typical one to three days. There will likely be ten to twenty days of heatwaves, compared to the usual four to eight for the entire April–June period.
The areas and regions predicted to witness a higher number of heatwave days are Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Marathwada, Bihar and Jharkhand. Some places may record more than 20 heatwave days.
Heat wave alert across India
Lok Sabha Election 2024: These States To Go To Polls In Second Phase
1. Assam- Karimganj, Silchar, Mangaldoi, Nawgong, Kaliabor
2. Bihar- Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, Bhagalpur, Banka
3. Chhattisgarh- Rajnandgaon, Mahasamund, Kanker
4. J&K- Jammu
5. Karnataka- Udupi Chikamagalur, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, Chikballapur, Kolar.
6. Kerala- Kasaragod, Kannur, Vatakara, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Ponnani, Palakkad, Alathur, Thrissur, Chalakudy, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Mavelikkara, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Attingal, Thiruvananthapuram
7. Madhya Pradesh- Tikamgarh, Damoh, Khajuraho, Satna, Rewa, Hoshangabad, Betul
8. Maharashtra- Buldhana, Akola, Amravati (SC), Wardha, Yavatmal-Washim, Hingoli, Nanded, Parbhani
9. Manipur- Outer Manipur
10. Rajasthan- Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Jodhpur, Barmer, Jalore, Udaipur, Banswara, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Bhilwara, Kota, Jhalawar-Baran
11. Tripura- Tripura East
12. Uttar Pradesh- Amroha, Meerut, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura, Bulandshahr
13. West Bengal- Darjeeling, Raiganj, Balurghat
