Ghaziabad: Ghaziabad District Disaster Management Authority has issued a detailed district-wide heatwave preparedness and relief action plan, appointing nodal officers at district, tehsil, block and urban local body levels to monitor prevention and relief measures amid rising temperatures.The order was issued by DM Ravindra Mander following directions from UP govt to strengthen preparedness against heatwave conditions and minimise loss of life and health risks during the summer. “All hospitals, PHCs and CHCs have been directed to maintain adequate stocks of ORS, medicines and fluids, while emergency services, including 108 and 102 ambulances, must remain active round the clock. We have also asked officials to ensure uninterrupted power supply at hospitals and help centres,” he said.Under the plan, the health department has been directed to conduct awareness campaigns on heatstroke prevention and train grassroots workers to spread awareness in both urban and rural areas.The transport department has been instructed to ensure shaded waiting areas and drinking water facilities at bus stands and public places for commuters during peak summer conditions.The animal husbandry department has been tasked with implementing a heatwave action plan for livestock protection, ensuring vaccination drives, medicine stockpiling and awareness among cattle rearers and gaushala operators.The information technology department will carry out awareness campaigns through newspapers and social media platforms regarding precautions during heatwave conditions.The labour department has been instructed to organise awareness camps for industrial workers and labourers, arrange drinking water and shade at worksites, and modify work timings to avoid exposure during peak afternoon hours between noon and 3pm.“We have specifically directed departments to make arrangements for labourers, daily wage workers, as these groups are more vulnerable during heatwave conditions,” Mander said.The fire department has been ordered to keep all fire stations and sub-centres operational 24×7 with adequate resources, conduct fire safety inspections at markets, hospitals, schools and warehouses, and publicise toll-free emergency numbers.Urban local bodies have been directed to establish cooling centres at temples, malls and public buildings, set up drinking water kiosks at marketplaces and public places, ensure regular water supply and leakage repair, carry out tree plantation drives and create shaded areas in parks.The panchayati raj department has been asked to arrange water tankers and drinking water facilities in rural areas, convert panchayat buildings and community centres into cooling centres, and regularly monitor ponds and water sources.Meanwhile, the electricity department has been directed to ensure an uninterrupted power supply and carry out immediate restoration in areas facing outages, while the agriculture department has been instructed to issue advisories for farmers regarding crop protection and heatwave management based on weather forecasts.“We are monitoring the situation continuously, and all departments have been asked to remain fully prepared for any emergency arising out of heatwave conditions,” DM said.According to the order issued by the district administration, the additional municipal commissioner of Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation has been appointed nodal officer for urban civic areas, while the chief medical officer will supervise district-level health preparedness. Sub-divisional magistrates of Ghaziabad, Modinagar and Loni have been designated as nodal officers at the tehsil level, while block development officers of Rajapur, Bhojpur, Muradnagar and Loni will oversee arrangements in rural blocks. Executive officers of municipal councils and nagar panchayats will supervise local body-level implementation.
