The death toll from the summer heat is rising fast. The Andhra Pradesh government announced on Thursday that at least 45 people have died this year from heat-related ailments, the most in Kadappa (16) and Prakasam (11) districts. With Telangana recording 66 deaths so far, the casualty count in the Telugu-speaking states has already reached 111.
The severe drought is expected hit rice production from the two states. Agricultural scientists told the Economic Times that one lakh hectares rice cultivation could suffer because of the 30% deficient rains and a less than full Nagarjuna Sagar dam for the first time in two decades, choking up irrigation.
No water for surgeries
Even as the government wraps up India Water Week, an event that discussed water resources for the country focussing on the theme "Water for all: Striving together", Marathwada's terrible drought crisis has spiralled into a massive public health crisis. With dams and rivers in the area drying up, doctors are finding it difficult to treat patients with only rationed tanker water.
Hospitals and clinics in Latur have cut down on surgical procedures and are taking in only emergency surgical procedures, the Economic Times reported. Hospitals are finding it difficult to find water for water to wash their hands before surgery, for patients and their care takers to bathe, and to mop hospital floors to maintain clean and sterile environments. Even as medical facilities try to cope by discharging patients earlier than usual, victims of sunstroke, and water-related diseases like jaundice, hepatitis, gastroenteritis and kidney-stones are seeking treatment in larger numbers, according to the news report.
The heat wave is now on its way to the eastern region of the country and the meteorological department has issued heat wave warnings for parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal.
It's not just the IPL
While the uproar over the Indian Premiere League's use of water continues to raise hackles, here's a reminder of the irresponsible use of water in other sectors that should bear as much blame for the current crisis. Maharashtra encourages sugarcane cultivation that has disproportionately high water use. With 1,500 litres of water being used to produce one kilo of sugar, Indiaspend calculates that Mumai can save 150% more water by drinking tea without sugar for a day than than the amount saved by banning a season of the cricket league.
Maharashtra is rethinking its water policies for the urban parts of the state, having found that rural-centric policies are not working to provide water for the 45% of the state's population in urban centres.
After consecutive droughts and the current escalating water crisis, the central government approved a National Hydrology project on Wednesday with an outlay of more than Rs 3,600 crore. The project is aimed at setting up water resource data systems from the whole country and to build capacity for coordination between the centre and states.
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