The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Coal town sears as mercury soars

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Sunday, May 04, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Coal town sears as mercury soars

D. Chandra Bhaskar Rao

KOTHAGUDEM: The heat wave conditions that gripped the region brought life to a standstill in the coal town and its adjoining areas. Though the authorities are yet to admit the abnormal weather condition in this particular location, the soaring day temperatures threaten to affect the mining operations in the Singareni Collieries. Many of the establishments in the town have been recording temperatures using compact devices, but there is nothing official about the readings.

Trade union demands

he trade unions in the SCCL have been demanding supply of buttermilk and ORH packets adequately in the mines. The company management is yet take a decision on the demand. An official spokesman of the company has said that that the temperature is hovering around 45 degree Celsius in the coal town. There were instances when the mercury touched even 49.5 degrees in the town without affecting the work in the mines in the past. The heat wave would have its bearing on the operations in the opencast mines. The company has some 12 opencast mines in the region with over 7000 men working in it. The miners in fact take advantage of the dry weather in summer to make up for the production loss in the rainy season. There is no drop in the attendance in the opencast mines so far. The abnormal rise in the day temperatures would no way affect mining in the underground mines, the spokesman adds.

The underground mine workers would be exposed to sun only while travelling from the town to the mine point. Steps were being taken to off-set the impact of the gruelling summer.

The company management has issued a circular to the employees on the dos and don’ts during the summer. Some of the unions also have given them tips on the summer wear and precautions to be taken while working inside the mines.

The occupancy of the buses being operated by the road transport corporation buses from the coal town has come down by five per cent this week.

Bus drivers and conductor are reporting sick in a big way. There are hardly any commuters to board RTC buses in Kothagudem from 12 noon to 3 p.m. for the past two days. The RTC has been plying some night time services additionally to meet the holiday rush.

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