In the wake of the Meteorological Department warning of rise in temperature this summer, the State government has come out with an action plan with an outlay of Rs. 200 crore, Rural Development Minister Kimidi Mrunalini has said.
In a statement here on Tuesday, she said that the Cabinet had taken a decision to utilise the amount for meeting the demand for drinking water, supply of buttermilk and ORS packets to people. Of the total amount, the government, in the first phase, allocated Rs.3 crore for each district, she said. Stating that arrangements had been made to supply drinking water to 563 villages facing acute shortage, she said 7,232 drinking water kiosks (chalivendramulu) and medical camps to treat heatstroke victims were opened. In all, 6.52 lakh ORS packets have so far been distributed.
While appealing to the people not to venture out between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., she asked authorities in all hospitals to create awareness among people on the preventive measures to be taken to save themselves from heatstroke. To meet fodder shortage for cattle, the government would be supplying grass at Rs. 2 per kg and also construct cisterns under MGNREGS for water storage in the rural areas, she said. Further, the daily wage of MGNREGS workers had been increased from Rs. 180 to Rs. 194 and the number of working days from 100 to 150 in a year. A worker had also been appointed at every work spot to supply water and buttermilk to the wage earners, she added.
In all, 6.52 lakh ORS packets have so far been distributed, says Minister
