1,061 homeless people moved to shelters amid heatwave

Surat: As part of its heatwave mitigation measures, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) shifted 1,061 homeless people to shelters over the past month to prevent heat-related illnesses.Officials said the drive was launched at the beginning of April after earlier instances of critically ill homeless persons being found on roads, some of whom later died due to heat exposure. The initiative aims to protect vulnerable people from the extreme summer conditions.In the past few days, the weather has improved with no extreme heat recorded in the city.The health department has completed training for doctors, nurses and other support staff for effective case management at Urban Health Centres and SMIMER Hospital. ORS corners and hydration points have been set up across health facilities, while emergency arrangements, including beds and water tubs for heat-related illnesses, have been made at nine urban community health centres, Maskati Hospital and SMIMER.Medical teams are also conducting health check-ups and awareness drives in labour clusters and slum areas.As part of preventive measures, the traffic cell installed green shade nets at 24 junctions and suspended traffic signals in the afternoon to reduce heat exposure. BRTS Sitilink has provided drinking water and ORS facilities at 158 bus stops.In schools, awareness drives have been conducted across 391 SMC institutions, along with arrangements for safe drinking water. The urban community development department has also relocated homeless persons to shelters, where rapid response teams carried out health screenings.Additionally, the town development department has ensured drinking water supply at 540 construction sites and advised against outdoor work between 1pm and 4pm during heatwave conditions.