Heatwave: Police launch rescue, rehab of destitutes

Nagpur: With temperatures soaring over the last seven days, even touching 44-degree Celsius, city police activated their safety mechanism to avoid deaths of homeless people on streets and footpaths. Unidentified bodies are piling up at govt hospital mortuaries and though there's no official confirmation on the heatwave toll, top police sources claim at least 20-25 people may have fallen victim, though accidental death cases were registered.The crisis forced police to re-launch its flagship operation, Mission Mukti-3, on Tuesday to rescue and rehabilitate those living on footpaths and prevent further tragedies. The bodies found on footpaths were moved to govt hospitals, where they were declared dead.Police commissioner Ravinder Singal called an inter-departmental meeting of the Govt Medical College and Hospital, Indira Gandhi Govt Medical College and Hospital, Regional Mental Hospital, Women and Child development, child welfare committee and others for launching the programme operated on a three-R strategy — rescue, rehabilitation, and reintegration. A collaborative effort between police, govt departments, and NGOs had earlier proved effective.In Phases I and II, authorities successfully rescued and shifted 482 at-risk individuals to shelter homes, saving them from sunstroke and heat-related illnesses.Phase III will be about intensified day and night patrolling across high-risk zones, on-spot medical screening by mobile health teams, evacuation to air-conditioned shelters, and meticulous follow-up for long-term care. Special focus will be given to medical evaluations, mental health assessments and support, family reunification and provision of institutional rehabilitation for those requiring sustained assistance."In extreme temperatures, our priority is to ensure no vulnerable citizen suffers on the footpaths," said Singal.Nagpur Police urged citizens to actively support Mission Mukti by promptly sharing information on vulnerable persons spotted on streets and avoiding giving alms, which inadvertently perpetuates begging.
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