Navi Mumbai: With two more persons succumbing to sunstroke in the Kharghar heat tragedy on Sunday, the number of fatalities has risen to 13, even as the condition of some of those admitted to the MGM hospital in Vashi, remains critical. However, Raigad collector Yogesh Mhase has said that most of those who perished after being subjected to the scorching sun at the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony in Kharghar on Sunday had comorbidities.
Clearly, the government is trying to shift the blame on the victims. More than Rs 13.62 crore were spent on the event, but no thought was spared for the lakhs of people who would be forced to sit in an open ground, with the sun fiercely beating down on them.
The venue of the event was on open ground, with no sheds or tents for the followers of social activist Dattatreya Narayan Dharmadhikari (77), who was the recipient of the Maharashtra Bhushan award. Those on the dais not only had a pandal, but also stand fans, to protect them from the heat.
No shades provided to the public
The lakhs of attendees were expected to brave the 42 °C temperature without even the semblance of shade. No shade was provided for them since the government wanted to shower rose petals on them from helicopters. Besides, providing top cover would have made it impossible to take drone shots from cameras. Many were of the opinion that the government committed a Himalayan blunder by holding the function in the afternoon when the sun would be at its peak, that the event could have been held in the evening.
Public transport and private vehicles, except those with special passes, were stopped around one km from the venue. Visitors had to walk all the way to the venue and return in the scorching heat. Even during the event, a large number of people required medical assistance. On the day of the event, while talking to the media, Revati Gaikar, the deputy collector of Raigad, said doctors at 32 booths had provided medical assistance to many visitors, most of whom complained of dehydration. Many were required to be immediately hospitalised. There was no adequate provision of drinking water.
Dharmadhikari Pratishthan says no role in the organisation
The Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Pratishthan said it was a government function and they had no role in its organisation. Members of the Prathishthan refused to talk on the issue. “There was adequate water arrangement at the venue, but far from the ground. Fetching water for everyone at the ground was not possible,” said an official from the Panvel Municipal Corporation, requesting anonymity.
A Navi Mumbai-based NGO, the Alert Citizen Forum (ACF), which raises civic and administrative issues, said that it was a complete failure of the local administration who failed to account for the severity of the weather. “The official who briefed the chief minister should have spoken about the prevailing weather conditions,” said Sudhir Dani, founder of the ACF. He added that despite spending crores of rupees, they could not arrange sheds or tents at the venue for visitors. “Like the previous ceremony for the Maharashtra Bhushan award, this too could have been held in Mumbai, as a small event. But it was more for votes and show of power,” said Dani.
Tragedy downplayed, initially
The worst part of the entire incident was how there appeared to be a concerted effort to downplay the news. The district administration and the police simply clammed up and it was not until late evening that the enormity of the tragedy unfolded. Only after Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited the hospital and briefed the media did the facts emerge.
No IMD observatory in Navi Mumbai
Navi Mumbai, the city where 13 people died of sunstroke, has no IMD observatory to issue local weather alerts. The Maharashtra government had sought weather-related information from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), ahead of the award function in Kharghar, which was provided to it on April 12. The IMD had forecast temperatures of 34-35 °C in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, based on the data from its Santacruz observatory in neighbouring Mumbai, located 35 km away, Met officials said.
However, on the ground, the actual temperature rose to 38 °C.
This was the temperature recorded by the nearest observatory in Maharashtra, the Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) in Rabale, Navi Mumbai. The observatory is operated by the Thane-Belapur Industrial Association.
IMD scientist Sushma Nair told PTI that the observatory was revived in 2017, as there were not enough observations to calculate the normal.
“If we do not have any observatory near a venue where an event is to take place, our protocol is we issue a forecast on the basis of the nearest observatory. In this case, it was the Santacruz observatory,” Nair said.
Unlike Mumbai, its satellite cities do not have a robust meteorological infrastructure.
Health expert speaks on possible factors of tragedy
Dileep Mavlankar, director of the Gandhinagar-based Indian Institute of Public Health, said a heatwave alone does not increase the chances of having a sunstroke, but high temperature, high humidity and direct contact with sunlight could also be contributory factors, especially in coastal areas.
Elderly citizens are more vulnerable to sunstroke because of the comorbidities, he said.
Mavlankar, who was instrumental in developing a heat action plan for Ahmedabad in Gujarat, said the heat index in India is also not provided when weather alerts are issued.
