Sizzling heat cripples life in state

Jaipur/Jaisalmer: Normal life was thrown out of gear as blistering heat prevailed across the state on Wednesday. A 50-year-old man travelling in a bus from Jodhpur to Pali reportedly died due to heat stroke. The district administration in Barmer and Jodhpur have issued directives urging people to avoid going out from 11 am to 5 pm for the next couple of days.
At the the international border along the Thar desert in Jaisalmer, the Border Security Force (BSF) recorded mercury level at 56.5 degrees Celsius. However, the Met department could not confirm the temperature in any of the points along the border as it does have an observatory in these places.
The BSF has set up digital thermometer and hygrometer at every border outpost and check points which recorded temperatures between 52 and 56 degrees . The border outpost Bhagnau in Shahgarh Bulge recorded 56.5 degrees. At other outposts also, temperature crossed 54 degrees. Jawans have been directed to prevent themselves from heat wave and increasing temperature. They have been asked to keep lemon and onion with them all the time. Besides, they have been provided with caps and special goggles to protect their eyes. Similarly, water coolers and deep freezers have been provided at the border outposts. In case the jawans suffer from heat stroke, cool rooms have been made to bring down their body temperature.
Churu was the hottest place where a maximum of 49.1 degrees Celsius was recorded, the Met reports said on Wednesday. They warned of warmer days ahead as heat wave conditions will further aggravate in the next couple of days. Churu's maximum temperature was highest in past 17 years. In all these years Churu had recorded its maximum temperature below 49.0 degrees Celsius barring May, 26, 1999 when Churu had its maximum temperature 49.9 degrees Celsius.
The continued rise in the mercury has led to acute water crisis in at least 19 districts where the administration claims to be supplying drinking water supply through tankers. As the electricity consumption in the month of May so far has gone up by 40% compared to April, abrupt power cuts are also witnessed. People in the state capital witnessed the hottest day of the season so far as a maximum temperature of 45.8 degrees Celsius was recorded. District collector Siddharth Mahajan has announced holidays for schools from nursery to Class XII.
The western Rajasthan including Jaisalmer, Barmer and Jodhpur is is the worst hit where the temperatures are hovering around 47 degrees Celsius. At some of the outposts, the BSF thermometer read above 50 degrees Celsius. Churu was followed by Jaisalmer where a maximum of 48.8 degrees Celsius was recorded, Barmer 48.6, Sriganganagar 48.5, Bikaner 48.2, Jodhpur 48, Kota 47.9 and Udaipur recorded 45 degrees Celsius.