The Hindu : National : ``Treat sunstroke deaths as human loss in natural disaster''

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 29, 2005

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National

``Treat sunstroke deaths as human loss in natural disaster''

Prafulla Das

Orissa Government plea to Centre

BHUBANESWAR: As Orissa is witnessing a large number of deaths due to sunstroke and lightning in recent years, the State Government has approached the Centre to treat these deaths as human loss in natural disaster.

As many as 278 deaths due to lightning were recorded in the State last year. There have been 60 deaths by June 8 this year, despite scanty rainfall in the initial months.

If the Centre accepts the request, the ex-gratia amount for victims will increase from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 50,000. A total of 2,338 people died due to sunstroke between 1998 and 2004. The Revenue Department has confirmed 136 deaths this year.

The industrial town of Talcher experienced a maximum temperature of over 50 degrees Celsius earlier this month. Titilagarh town in Bolangir district recorded a maximum of 50.1 degrees on June 5, 2003.

The Centre on an earlier occasion turned down the State's request to treat heat wave as natural disaster. However, State Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal met Union Home Minister ShivrajPatil in New Delhi recently urging him to reconsider the State's request. The issues relating to natural disasters were discussed at the State-level Natural Disaster Committee here recently. The meeting, which was chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, underlined the need for amendments in the State Government's relief code to give adequate compensation for farmers who lost their crops due to hailstorm.

The State is also contemplating to amend its Relief Code to ensure adequate compensation for the loss of life and property due to attacks by wild elephants. The Centre's approval on the issue will be sought soon. As many as 259 persons were trampled to death by wild elephants in the State between 1995-96 and 2003-04.

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