Agartala (Tripura) [India], April 23 : The disaster management authorities of Tripura have issued a public advisory to mitigate the effects of the hot and humid weather, which is supposed to continue for some days.
The public in general has been asked to avoid going out in the blazing sun, make changes in their diet, and avoid alcoholic and carbonated beverages with high caffeine content as they cause dehydration in the body. During this time, it is recommended to consume homemade drinks such as lassi, lemon water, and fruits that are high in water content.
Officials in the revenue department said that the advisory is issued for the next seven days. If the situation persists, a revised advisory will follow.
"The state has been reeling from hot and humid weather conditions since last week. As per the IMD report, similar conditions may continue for more days. There are cautions from the medical fraternity asking people to avoid exposure to blazing sun and heat, which might even, in the worst case, result in sun strokes. Similarly, IMD is updating the weather reports and issuing daily bulletins with advisories for key stakeholders and the general public for handling hot and humid weather," a press statement issued by the revenue department of Tripura stated.
According to the press statement, the government of Tripura has already declared the heat wave, sun stroke and sunburn to be state-specific disasters in Tripura.
Providing a set of guidelines to follow, the statement added that for the management of the ensuing hot and humid weather, all district disaster management authorities have been advised to conduct extensive awareness through different media, update weather conditions for the general public, provide safe drinking water and shades at public and strategic places, extend medical support and make other necessary provisions for the vulnerable communities in the districts.
The district administrations have also been advised to activate the emergency operation centres, keep alerting the quick response teams and resources, ensure uninterrupted power supply to all areas and take support from other key agencies as and when required for the safety and security of the citizens of the state.
The key advisories for the general public are to avoid going out in the sun, especially between 1000 IST and 1500 IST, drink more water than usual, and wear lightweight, light-coloured, and porous cotton clothes.
Other recommendations include the use of protective goggles, umbrella/hat while going out in the sun, avoiding the consumption of alcohol, tea, coffee and carbonated soft drinks, which dehydrate the body. "Avoid taking high-protein foods, and do not eat stale food. Use homemade drinks like lassi, lemon water, buttermilk, ORS, etc. which help rehydrate the body. Keep animals in shade and give them plenty of water to drink," the advisory added.
Farmers are advised to continue irrigation activities in summer maize, pulses and
other crops and vegetables.
Farmers are also advised to provide proper shelter and ventilation to animals, especially during the afternoon hours.