317 die of heatwave in Telangana this summer

As many as 317 heatwave-related deaths have been reported in Telangana since the onset of the summer season till date, state disaster management department said today. "These (317) deaths were confirmed by the three-member committee (set up to assess cases of heat-related deaths). Nalgonda District tops the chart with 91 deaths followed by Mahabubnagar with 44," an official in the disaster management department's control room said. Heatwave conditions are likely to prevail at isolated places in Adilabad, Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Medak, Nalgonda, Warangal and Khammam of Telangana state during next 72 hours, a weather bulletin from India Meteorological Department said. "No large change in maximum temperatures over Telangana. They were appreciably above normal at one or two places over Telangana. The highest maximum temperature of 45 degrees Celsius was recorded at Ramagundam," the IMD said. Heatwave conditions prevailed in Karimnagar of Telangana today even as dry weather prevailed at all other places in the state, it added. The state government had earlier issued heatwave alerts to all the districts, asking them to take precautionary measures. The government had also announced Rs 50,000 ex-gratia to kin of each of the deceased.