India heat wave kills 80,damages wheat crops
Source: Agencies |
April 19, 2010, Monday
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A SEVERE heat wave sweeping India, with temperatures of almost 44 degrees Celsius, the highest in 52 years, has killed at least 80 people this month, officials said yesterday.
The scorching weather, which officials say would continue over northern, northwestern and central India in the next 48 hours, also may have some impact on wheat production and exports.
New Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 43.7 degrees on Saturday, presaging a hot summer in the next two months in the nation's capital and other parts of northern and eastern India.
The highest temperature in the past 24 hours was 47 degrees at Ganganagar city in Rajasthan state.
Summer temperatures have been 4 to 6 degrees above normal over most parts of northern and central India since March, officials said.
In the eastern state of Orissa, authorities have decided to shut down schools from tomorrow, advancing the annual summer holiday.
Authorities said they were investigating 53 deaths from various parts of the state.
"District collectors have been asked to investigate and submit reports on other deaths," Bhimsen Gochhayat, a government official, said.
Other deaths were reported from northern state of Uttar Pradesh and central Madhya Pradesh states.
India is expected to produce about 82 million tons of wheat in 2009/10, but there could be a shortage of 1 to 1.5 million tons due to the heat wave, said Veena Sharma, Secretary General of the Roller Flour Millers Federation.
India is relying on a bumper wheat crop to make up for a 14.2 percent drop in rice output marred by monsoon flood last year.
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