Forest fires kill Flora and Fauna

With the rising temperatures, the incidents of forest wild fires are on the rise in the old Adilabad district. 

Forest fires take place naturally and were also man made sometimes. These forest fires are not only destroying the valuable forest but also affects the flora and fauna and kill the forest animals.

Temperatures are being recorded as high as 35  Degree Celsius much before the onset of the summer unlike last year in the old Adilabad district.

Incidents of forest burning and smoke coming out have become common in the old Adilabad for the last 15 days since temperatures started soaring. 

In some places, forest staff burning piled up dry leaves to prevent forest fires from spreading to neighboring areas.

A senior Forest Rage Officer (FRO) of Adilabad who doesn’t want to reveal his identity said it was difficult for them to put off the forest that took place deep in the forests or on the top of the hills and added that at the most they can create awareness among the people against the forest fires and their effects on the forest and flora and fauna.

One can see forest fires in the night times with huge flames in the bypass road of Nirmal and Mahboobghats, Kerameri ghats and Gandi Mysamma temple area in Kadam mandal in the old area. One can see forest fires along the National High way -44. Smoke emanates from the forests in the daytime after the flames put off naturally after destroying the forest in large areas.

The state government which talks much about the planting trees and protecting them to create 30 percent green cover has no specific measures to prevent forest fires.

The forest staff should burn the piled up dried up leaves especially road said to avoid the danger of passersby thrown the buts of cigarette without putting them off resulted in the forest fires as they catch the fire easily with the dried up leaves.

Rarely forest staff reaches to the place where forest fire takes place on knowing or seeing them in the night time to put off or control the fire from spreading to neighboring places.

The forest department has no specific mechanism to deal with the forest fires, especially during the summer and forest staff, often face difficulty in reaching the interior place where forest fires takes place.

New moms get own coolers

Maternity ward in district govt hospital in Karimnagar

The intense heat has led to some mothers arranging their air coolers on their own for their newborn babies in the maternity ward in the district government hospital in Karimnagar district headquarters.

People of Karimnagar district have been experiencing high temperatures coupled with the heat waves over the last 10 days.

It is seen that family members of the lactating women have arranged their own four air coolers and three table fans at their beds in the maternity ward in the hospital.

The hospital authorities had arranged a cooler in the maternity ward to keep the hall cool but these are not sufficient.

On seeing this, family members of the lactating women brought their own coolers and kept near their respective beds.

However, the entire scenario indicates the pathetic conditions which the new mothers face in maternity wards in the government hospitals in general.

The coolers are kept in such a place that they cool mothers and newborn while the cool breeze doest not cover the attendants. The attendants have covered the windows with covers to protect themselves from the heat waves.

Some of the hospitals are facing acute drinking water shortage, even patients and their attendants are victims of this scarcity.

Some of the poor patients using table fans in addition to the ceiling fans available in the maternity ward. Most of these women from nearby villages and gave birth  and they were yet to be discharged.

Mahesh of Ramadugu mandal,  new father, said they have arranged their own cooler near the bed to keep both the mother and baby cool and protect them from the high temperatures.   

Youths beer binge turns fatal

The number of road accidents in old Adilabad district has increased in the summer, as the motorists take to the road after drinking chilled beer.

This has been the cause of a number of accidents that have recently taken place in the Adilabad, Mancherial and Nirmal districts.

Beers sales have increased over the past 15 days, to match the increase in temperatures. In old Adilabad district, people have been experiencing temperatures as high as 46 degree Celsius.

A majority of the road accidents have taken places in the broad daylight, after the consumption of alcohol by young drivers.

In a number of cases, inebriated youngsters have been found riding bikes on NH-44. Two youths died and two others were seriously injured in a road accident that took place Mankuguda in Bheempur mandal of Adilabad district on May 15. The boys had come to Markaguda village attend a marriage.

At the time of the accident, they were on their way to a liquor shop in Bheempur mandal headquarters, buy cold beers to beat the heat. It is learnt that already they had already consumed some alcohol, and this was their second trip to the liquor shop.

In their drunken condition, they hit the RTC bus coming in the opposite direction. 

It has become common practice for the youth to drink chilled beers to keep cool in the intolerable heat. After drinking they often ride bikes without even wearing a helmet.

Nearly seven youngsters have died over the past 15 days, in the daytime in the old Adilabad district.

B. Venkatesh of Adilabad town says that these accidents have been caused by the negligence of people who drive in an inebriated condition. “Youth who have consumed alcohol should not come onto the roads with their bikes”, he says.

Maha farmers shifting cattle to TS for sale

Adilabad cattle market yard  

In unavoidable conditions, bullocks and cows are being shifted by the agents to drought affected Adilabad in particular and Telangana in general from another drought affected Vidarbha of Maharashtra due to a ban on cow slaughter there to sell to prospective buyers.  

Local agents taking the cow and bullocks they have purchased much before to the Adilabad cattle market yard instead one day before the weekly cattle market takes  place on every Monday. There is no supervision of officials concerned on the cattle market.     

But, some of them were dying due to high temperatures, lack of water and fodder in Adilabad cattle market yard where they kept before selling them to farmers and owners of slaughterhouses.

Nearly 20 bullocks kept under hot sun died in the last one week at Adilabad cattle market yard. Four bullocks died of high temperature, insufficient food and water and suffered injuries during their transportation on May 27.  

There is no shade in Adilabad market where these cattle placed. Farmers in need of bullocks for Agriculture operations are purchasing these bullocks in the wake of Kharif.

Local agents say farmers of drought hit Vidarbha are selling their cows and bullocks at cheaper prices as they were not in a position to feed their cattle and for their own survival.

Ramulu of Bheemsari of Adilabad mandal said small and marginal farmers selling out their cattle as they were unable to feed them adding when they themselves are struggling to survive.

Ashok Uddam Vachewar, a labourer who drove the herd of 10 bullocks to Adilabad town from Umri in Pandharkawada of Maharashtra said farmers selling their cows and bullocks at cheaper prices due to drought in Maharashtra. He drove a herd of 10 bullocks in two days for Rs 1,500 and has to stay in Adilabad for one more day.

He said there was ban on the cow slaughter in Maharashtra and agents are transporting cows and bullock carts to Telangana

Most of the cows and bullocks kept at Adilabad market were weak and they could not survive more days due to high temperatures being recorded in Adilabad and lack of fodder and water.

A local cattle agent of Adilabad said there is 40 percent fall in prices of the cattle  due to drought when compared to normal days and small and marginal farmers purchase bullocks in better condition for their Agriculture operations for Kharif.

He claimed that he purchased fodder worth Rs 8,000 to feed bullocks he purchased from various markets and keeping the cattle survive has become much difficult for him due to high temperatures.

Most of these cows and bullocks were transported in many ways from Kayar cattle  market in Yawathmal and Chandur and Kurpana in Chandrapur districts of Maharashtra. It is learned that even cows and bullocks are shifted to Adilabad cattle  market from the other states including Madhya Pradesh.        

All the weekly cattle Shandies including Muthnur, Ichoda, Jainoor , Rajagonsa in Bhainsa, Bela, Sangvi are with full of cows and bullocks for Kharif agriculture operations.

Fields wear a barren look

Buffaloes grazing in  deserted agriculture fields in Mamada mandal 

Goats, sheep and cows and buffaloes have become victims of the severe drought experienced in the district. Cattle grazers are taking the cattle to distant areas in search of green pasture and water.

Agriculture fields have turned into barren lands with no water and no one cultivating them. Officials have failed to provide fodder to the cattle. 

Agriculture lands wore deserted in Nirmal Assembly constituency and the cultivation of crops has become horrible even in the areas known for irrigation under canals for a long time.

Some of the cattle collapse and succumb to the high temperatures while in search of food and water and cattle grazers falling prey to the high temperatures in the process.

The canals are dried up and covered with bushes, indicating the extent of the farming community got affected with drought in Nirmal division.

One can hardly find water in the cement tubs constructed along the roadside in the villages for cattle to quench their thirst and this situation is attributed to the shortage of drinking water.

Villages in Mamada mandal were well known for agriculture and commercial crop like turmeric and maize, paddy but it is difficult for find crops in the agriculture fields.

Most of the small and marginal farmers had left their lands without cultivation. The area of paddy cultivation was not even crossed 1,000 hectares this Rabi season and this shows that gravity of the drought and water shortage.

Labourers die of heat for want of shade, water

Five peacocks died  due to shortage of drinking water in Karimnagar 

Eleven MNREGS labourers died of sunstroke and other complications at various places due to temperatures above 46 Degree Celsius in the district since the last 15 days.

The labourers’ lives had been at stage also because of a lack of shelter and water at the work site.

The District Water Management Agency( DWMA), the implementing agency of MNREGS has not been providing water not erecting shades at the work site.

The officials concerned usually ducked responsibility by citing drinking water shortage and asking the labourers to work only in the morning hours and evening to avoid high temperatures in the afternoon and carry their own water.

The DWMA was earlier paying an additional Rs 2 a day an additional to each labourer who carried his or her own water and Rs 5 a day to each labourer if they carried 5 litres of water to the work site for their own consumption.  

DWMA project director B. Shankar said so far they had officially recorded the death of a labourer duet to sunstroke in Bejjur 15 days ago; he added that they would take consideration of the death only when the labourer had marked the muster on that particular day.

He said they were in the process of calling tenders for purchasing 35,000 shades. About 1.5lakh labourers (job seekers) were working against a total 3 lakh active job card holders in the district.      

They fell sick after being affected with sunstroke and died while undergoing treatment or complained of vomiting and diarrhoea at their home.

Naturally, labourers affected with sunstroke, cannot attend work not sigh the muster. A majority of the workers are not drinking sufficient water too due o a shortage of water while some of them were drinking polluted water.

It is the responsibility of the officials concerned to provide drinking water and ORS kits with primary medical aid and to put up shelters at the worksite.

Officials point out that if they could not provide drinking water to the labourers that why were they paying them additional money.

Rythu Athma Hatyala Nivarana Committee district president Sangepu Borranna said the majority of the supervisor (mate) were not carrying the umbrellas supplied by the DWMA in the past to worksite in the villages in mandals like Bhainsa, Dahegoan, Neredigonda and Boath. They were keeping them at home.             

Heat takes its toll on students

Ruchitha is writing exam in 108 Ambulance 

The high temperatures, coupled with heat waves are taking toll on the SSC students appearing for examinations. Adilabad witnessed 42.3 highest and 21.4 lowest degree Celsius temperatures on Saturday.

On Thursday, A. Ruchitha of Ramraopet fainted while writing Science –II paper of SSC examination.

She then wrote the paper in 108 Ambulance under the supervision of local PHC doctor and invigilators after taking primary treatment in school premises in Indaram examination centre of Jaipur mandal.

The girl was later shifted Mancherial hospital. Another student Ganga Sagar also fainted while writing the examination in Bhainsa town.

A large number examination centres do not have fans which is putting the students to tremendous hardship: doors, windows are kept open for some air, but these are clearly stiffing conditions and  

Parents are worried about their children’s health are keen to have them complete the examinations without any hitch.

Parents, for whom too this a testing time , are even bringing their children earlier than the usual to the examination centres- before the scheduled time of 8.30 am-  to avoid the heat and carrying cold water.

Inter and SSC students to face March heat

Intermediate and SSC students, who will appear examinations scheduled to begin on March 2 and 21 respectively, will face the brunt of the summer when temperatures may touch 45 degree Celsius.

It will be an uncomfortable time for them, writing exams in the heat, which has already set in. Parents are worried about this and likelihood of power cuts.

Shahid Ahmed Tavakkal of Adilabad town said that the family was taking all precautionary measures to ensure that his son takes the exam in a clam and stress-free state of mind.

‘Most of the parents are worried about the heat in March , he observed , but expected that drinking water and primary medical treatment facilities would be provided at examination centres as prevention against the diarrhea or sunstroke.

The education department has not received any special instructions regarding making special arrangements at examination centres to stave off the side effects of the heat. 

They have only general instructions regarding provision of furniture for students to write examinations without difficulty.

As many as total 43,291 including 37,439 regular and 5,852 private students will attend SSC examinations at 204 examination centres. Section 144 will be imposed around the examination centres in the district.     

Kids take ill due to weather