The government has launched a mobile app and web portal to issue heat wave warnings conveniently to the State's citizens.
Deputy Chief Minister Mahmood Ali today said that the web portal and app that he had launched would prove handy to the citizens in getting warnings about the heat wave.
Addressing media persons at the Secretariat, the Deputy CM said that the concerned officials would collect data pertaining to the heat wave through 885 sensors, and alert the citizens through the telecom service providers via the heat wave app.
"This information can also be availed of on the web portal and at the government website," he said.
"The aim of the heat wave app and the web portal is to ensure that the people belonging to the areas which are set to experience heat waves receive messages on their mobile phones. A severe heat wave warning is issued by the app when the temperature is recorded at 45 degrees Celsius or more, and an advice to people to remain indoors is issued when the temperature soars over 40 degrees," he informed.
The Telangana IT department in coordination with the disaster management wing has tied up with some of the cell phone service providers to send the alert messages.
In view of the scorching heat and the blazing days projected ahead, the government had also declared holidays for schools, and specifically instructed private schools, too, to follow the order, he said.
The District Collectors had been directed to take immediate measures to appeal to the community groups, NGOs and others to provide drinking water to the people, the Deputy CM added. He also said that steps would be taken to press in more drinking water centres (chalivendras) at some places, arrange 104 and 108 ambulances, and provide water and buttermilk in some of the health centres and hospitals. He also said that the required OR and IV fluids should be made available to deal with dehydration symptoms, and that awareness programmes should be conducted at bus and railway stations.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that there were rain showers at isolated places in Telangana on Monday. According to it, light to moderate rain or thunder showers are likely to occur at these places today, too. Most places of Telangana are likely to record a maximum temperature of between 40 and 45 degrees Celsius.
The Met office also warned that heat wave conditions are likely to prevail over many parts in the districts of Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimangar, Khammam, Medak, Mahabubnagar, Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Warangal and Nalgonda in the next two days.
Thunderstorms accompanied by squall/hail are also very likely to occur in the Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Medak, Mahabubnagar, Hyderabad, Rangareddy, Warangal and Nalgonda districts over the next two days.
Three centimeters of rain was recorded on Monday at Bejjanki in the Karimnagar district, and one centimeter at Golkonda (Hyderabad), Sirpur (Adilabad), Chevella (Rangareddy), Saroornagar (Rangareddy) and Uppal (Rangareddy).