IMD Issues 'Orange Alert' For 14 Districts In Karnataka Ahead Of LS Polls, Rain Likely In Bengaluru

Orange alert has been issued in 14 districts to go into Lok Sabha polls on May 7 as temperatures soar, however, rain is likely in Bengaluru.

Men queue under an awning to protect themselves from the sun as they wait to vote. ( Image Source :Getty )

An ‘orange alert’ has been issued for the 14 districts of Karnataka which are set to vote for the lok sabha polls on May 7. This comes as temperatures soared to 42 to 44 degrees Celsius in the last couple of days. Meanwhile, Bengaluru could experience light rains in the coming days. According to the PTI report, the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) has issued a red alert for five districts – Bagalkot, Belagavi, Dharwad, Haveri and Koppal – till May 9.

The 14 segments where polling is set to take place on May 7 are Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal, Bellary, Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davangere and Shimoga.

Meanwhile, even as Bengalureans awaited the rains with bated breath, the showers skipped the IT hub on May 5. C S Patil, Director of the Meteorological Centre, Bengaluru, IMD, stated that there was only 4 cm of rain in Karnataka on May 5.

In the past few days, Bengaluru city received rain ranging from 4 mm to 30 mm, Hosakote district, which falls under Bengaluru Rural district particularly saw a heavy downpour, particularly on May 3. 

Heatwave During Polls 

In light of the drastic weather conditions, the Election Commission has made arrangements to mitigate the heat in the polling centres. It hopes that the voter turnout will not be affected. In this first phase, Karnataka recorded 69.56 per cent voter turnout. The Election Commission has set up tents in these constituencies, provided additional fans and chairs and set up drinking water dispensers. It has also put ambulances on standby in polling centres to ensure that voters do not face heat-related distress, reported PTI.

While speaking to PTI, Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena mentioned that the constituencies that are set for voting on May 7 are located in North Karnataka where the temperatures are slightly higher, "so we have made all necessary arrangements to ensure that people aren't deterred from coming out of their homes to vote."

He further added, "It is a harsh summer, so we are making special arrangements to mitigate this temperature, (and the possibility of) stroke, dehydration... So, we are making special arrangements for shades, drinking water, and fans wherever required at the polling stations." The poll body has also roped in ASHA workers and Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) workers to handle any medical emergency that could arise at the polling stations.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), for the past 7 days, the Kalaburgi district (Gulbarga Lok Sabha constituency), has been recording the highest maximum temperature of over 44 degrees Celsius.