Heat Wave Persists in Parts of India, Toll 1,396

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, June 08, 2003

Heat Wave Persists in Parts of India, Toll 1,396

Despite pre-monsoon showers, heatwave continued to hit most parts of India as 46 more people succumbed to soaring temperatures, pushing the countrywide death toll this scorching summer to 1,396.

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Despite pre-monsoon showers, heat wave continued to hit most parts of India as 46 more people succumbed to soaring temperatures, pushing the countrywide death toll this scorching summer to 1,396.

Thirty-six fresh deaths were reported in Andhra Pradesh, which turned into a furnace with the killer heat wave claiming 1,317 lives in the past three weeks, and 10 in Haryana as showers drenched parts of North-East India.

West Godavari in Andhra accounted for 261 fatalities followed by East Godavari 199. Nalgonda 192 and Guntur 184, officials in state capital Hyderabad said.

The weather office said with conditions becoming favorable, monsoon is likely to finally hit Kerala in a day or two.

Pre-monsoon showers had already lashed Kerala and Karnataka andgood rainfall activity was continuing in the North-East, it said.

Monsoon is advancing towards remaining parts of Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Sikkim and some areas in sub-Himalayan West Bengal.

However, mercury hovered around 43 degree Celsius at many places in northern India as hot winds blew across the region making life miserable for the denizen.

Dust blanket coupled with increased humidity further added to the woes of the people.

Mercury touched 43 degrees Celsius in Chandigarh while Hissar in Haryana recorded a high of 42.8 degrees Celsius. Patiala in Punjab sizzled under 42.9 degrees Celsius.

The heat wave slightly ebbed in Rajasthan as the mercury fell by a few notches in most parts of the state.

Kota recorded the maximum day temperature of 44 degree Celsius followed by Jaisalmer 43 degrees and Ajmer 40 degrees.

Even as parts of Tamil Nadu received thundershowers and the weather office predicted more rains, there was no let up in the heat wave in northern areas with mercury staying around 42 degree Celsius.

Meanwhile, President Abdul Kalam, who attended the inaugural of the PES Institute of Medical Sciences and Research at Kuppam in Adhra Pradesh Saturday, expressed concern over the loss of lives due to the prevailing heat wave in the country.

He called on the medical community to provide mobile clinics and water to people in the rural areas and ensure such deaths do not occur from next year.

The Indian economy, Asia's third-largest, depends heavily on monsoon rains. Around 70 percent of the population lives off the land and agriculture makes up a quarter of the economy.

Analysts said that a normal monsoon is crucial for achieving 6 percent economic growth in the current financial year, ending March 2004, after a drought slowed the economy last year. By Xiong Changyi

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