Kolkata: Severe heatwave all over the state is affecting the campaigning for West Bengal assembly polls.
Even meetings by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has seeing less attendance as people are unwilling to go out in the afternoon sun. Candidates from all parties are facing the heat and most are scheduling the meetings and rallies in the evening.
“People will die of the heat. It is just unbearable but what can be done. We have to go out and campaign,” said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Locket Chatterjee, a former actress.
“Most of the meetings are being scheduled post 4pm (local time) so that people can come. Even then, there is very little respite from the heat and most of our campaign managers are finding it very difficult to sustain the process,” said Trinamool Congress candidate Subrata Mukherjee.
Certain parts of the state are seeing drastic heat conditions with Bankura district recording 45°C on April 7, the highest in the last decade. The district’s all-time highest maximum temperature is 45.2°C, recorded on April 15, 1973.
Even Kolkata is seeing an unprecedented rise in temperature with mercury touching a high of 41°C last Thursday.
Kolkata police have reduced the working hours of its men controlling traffic in the city to six hours from the prevalent eight-hour shifts due to the ongoing heatwave.
“Our men serve the city but considering the weather conditions, it’s impossible for them to stay on the open road eight hours together. We have reduced the working hours and have advised everyone to have adequate water and take preventive measures,” said city police chief Rajiv Kumar, who distributed glucose and ice-bands to officers on duty.
The meteorological department has failed to provide any news of immediate relief and the temperatures will continue to rise for at least a week more.
“The temperature will start rising from Saturday again. It will climb further by Sunday. Therefore the heatwave warnings for the city and parts of western and southern districts still stand,” said G. C. Debnath, deputy director-general of Indian Meteorology Department.
Dry and hot wind blowing in from Jharkhand and parts of Central India will soon be gripping the city, the meteorological office has warned “It will be a loo-like situation; the heat in the coming days will not be the kind of humid weather Kolkata is familiar with,” Debnath added.
Doctors have warned candidates to take precautions so that they do not fall ill. Drinking plenty of water, eating citrus fruits and staying away from the blazing sun are a few tips doctors have suggested.
“Candidates who are elderly are especially at risk and they should take utmost care of not going out in the blazing sun,” said Debesh Roy, a medical practitioner.
