Team Blitz India
MUMBAI: Despite Maharashtra enduring sweltering heat, recent data from the public health department indicates a nearly fivefold decrease in recorded heatstroke cases till date this year compared to the same period last year.
The state reported only 77 cases, contrasting sharply with the 373 cases recorded during the same period last year, a 79.3 per cent decline.
Officials credit this decline to improved implementation of heat wave action plan and the delayed onset of heatwave, in April. The IMD issued a yellow alert for Marathwada and Vidarbha as temperatures reached 40- 42 degrees Celsius.
This marked the first heatwave alert for Mumbai this year though data from the public health department indicates a managed situation regarding heatstroke cases. Majority of cases have been reported from Buldhana, totalling 12 cases this year. This is followed by Sindhudurg 9, Wardha 8, Nashik 6, Pune 5 and Kolhapur 5, among others. Nandurbar, which recorded 68 heatstroke cases last year till April, has not reported any case this year. Similarly, Mumbai suburbs, which reported the highest number of cases at 72, also show zero cases this time.
Heatstroke, also known as sunstroke, is a severe heat-related illness characterised by body temperature soaring above 40 degrees celsius (104°F) combined with dysfunction of the central nervous system, such as altered mental status or loss of consciousness.
Government officials attribute the drop in cases to the successful implementation of heat action plan. Workshops were conducted on preparedness and mitigation of heat-related ailments. An awareness campaign was launched about handling eventualities. This helped in controlling the number of heatstroke incidences.
