Maharashtra’s Akola swelters at 46°C, public gatherings banned till May 31

Akola has been the hottest city in Maharashtra over the past two days when it recorded a maximum temperature of more than 45 degrees Celsius, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD) data.

In view of the heatwave conditions in Akola, Collector Ajit Kumbhar on Saturday imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) till May 31, prohibiting public gatherings.

The collector, in an order, asked establishments to make adequate arrangements for drinking water and fans for workers, and to change the timings of private coaching classes, saying they should not be held during the afternoon.

Akola city, located in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, recorded the maximum temperature of 45.8 degrees Celsius on Friday and 45.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday, the season’s highest temperature in the city this month, according to the IMD data.

Mercury has been on the rise in many parts of the Vidarbha region since the past few days. The maximum temperature in Akola over the past few days ranged from more than 44 degrees Celsius to 45.8 degrees Celsius, as per the district administration.

On May 26, 2020, Akola was the second hottest city in the country (after Khargone in Madhya Pradesh) at 47.4 degrees Celsius.

The Akola Collector on Saturday imposed Section 144 of the CrPC till May 31.

The order said it is necessary to provide fans, drinking water and sheds to the workers, change the timings of private coaching classes for students and implement other measures effectively so that people do not suffer from heatstroke.

Workers engaged in the industrial sector should not work in the sun, it said. It will be the responsibility of the establishment’s owner to prepare adequate sheds for protection from heat stroke, arrangement of fans, coolers or other devices, adequate drinking water and first aid boxes, the order said.

Private coaching classes should be conducted up to 10 am and after 5 pm. If the classes are to be continued between 10 am and 5 pm, arrangements for fans and coolers should be made at the coaching centres, it said.