With large parts of India reeling under heat wave conditions, the Prime Minister's Office has called a meeting to take stock of the situation and put in motion steps to tackle it.
The meeting, which will take place this afternoon, will be chaired by Dr P K Mishra, principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The current heat wave conditions in states and how to tackle them will be discussed during the meeting.
The meeting comes a day after Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan issued an advisory to chief secretaries of states, directing them to publicise the guidelines under the "National Action Plan on Heat-Related Illnesses" down to the district level. "States should sensitise all health staff on early recognition and management of heat illness," he wrote.
He asked the states to ensure availability of sufficient drinking water at all health facilities and continued functioning of cooling appliances in critical areas.
Health facilities should prepare and review the availability of IV fluids, ice packs, ORS and all necessary items, the health secretary said.
Delhi, Rajasthan and other parts in north India are reeling under record-breaking temperatures this summer, raising risks of heatstroke and other health problems caused by heat waves. The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted thunderstorms and dust storms soon, raising hopes of some respite from the heatwave.
"Abatement of Heat wave conditions over most parts of the country. Thunderstorm/gusty winds very likely over Northwest India till 04th may; over East India & south Peninsular India till 06th May and over Northeast India till 03rd May, 2022," the weather office tweeted today.
Bumble Bees Suffering From Loss of Smell After Heat Waves Struck the Planet Last Year, Finds Study Over 60 Million Americans Under Alert As Heatwave Hits US Antarctica Experiences Exceptionally Long Heatwave, Says Research Body 9 Dead, 2,800 Hurt As Pagers Explode Across Lebanon, Hezbollah Blames Israel China, Russia Concerned About India-US Relationship: Top American Diplomat "Wear Proper Undergarments": Delta Airlines' New Memo For Flight Attendants Liquor, Drugs Worth Rs 26.82 Crore Seized In Haryana Since Poll Code UN Says Lebanon Pager Blasts 'Extremely Concerning Escalation' Kamala Harris Calls For End To War In Gaza, No Israeli Reoccupation Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.