New Delhi: After coming under fire for holding a mass outdoor event that led to 12 deaths due to the heat, the Maharashtra government has banned outdoor events between noon and 5 pm while the heatwave conditions in the state persist, NDTV reported.
At least 12 persons – eight women and four men – present among the audience at the ceremony to present the Maharashtra Bhushan awards, which were given by Union home minister Amit Shah in the presence of state chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis at Navi Mumbai, died due to heatstroke on Sunday.
In his speech, Shah had even praised the large crowd for braving the severe heat (42 degrees Celsius, according to him) to be present at the ceremony.
In its April 16 heat wave warning, the IMD had said that Maharashtra could witness a rise in maximum temperatures by 2 to 4 Degrees Celsius over the next five days. As per some reports, local officials said that the event – which has come under fire for several reasons, including the lack of adequate arrangements to deal with the heat – went against existing Heat Action Plans. Read more about what a Heat Action Plan is here.
Opposition leaders, including former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, had criticised the Shinde government for planning the event in this manner. “The event was not planned properly. Who will investigate this incident?” Thackeray said.