Agartala (Tripura) [India], April 23 : The Disaster Management Authority of Tripura on Tuesday issued a public advisory to mitigate the effect of 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 the diet, and avoid alcoholic and carbonated beverages with high caffeine content as they cause dehydration in the body. The use of homemade drinks such as lassi, lemon water and fruits that provide more water to the body has been advised to be consumed in this period.
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 is reeling under hot and humid weather conditions since last week. According to an 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 Tripura government has already declared heatwave, sunstroke and sunburn as state-specific disasters in Tripura.
Prescribing a set of guidelines, the statement added, "For management of the ensuing hot and humid weather, all District Disaster Management Authorities have been advised to conduct extensive awareness through different media platforms, update weather conditions to the general public, provide safe drinking water and shades at public and strategic places, extend medical support and other necessary provisions for the vulnerable communities in the districts."
The district administration has 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 have been issued for the general public. People have been asked to avoid going out in the sun, especially between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm. It has been advised to consume more water than usual and to wear lightweight, light-coloured, and porous cotton clothes.
It has been further advised to use protective goggles, and an umbrella/hat while going out in the sun. As per the advisory, people have been advised to avoid taking alcohol, tea, coffee and carbonated soft drinks, which dehydrate the body.
People have been asked to avoid eating high-protein food and not eat stale food, while the farmers have been advised to grow maize, pulses and other crops and vegetables.
They have also been advised to provide proper shelter and ventilation to animals, especially during afternoon hours.