Mamata calls emergency meeting as heatwave lashes Bengal

Western and southern parts of West Bengal sizzled on Tuesday as heatwave conditions scorched the state, prompting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to convene an emergency meeting.

Bankura continued to top the maximum temperature chart at 43.7 degrees Celsius, while Panagarh in Paschim Bardhaman district followed closely at 43.5 degrees Celsius, the weather office said.

The weather forecast for southern and western districts of West Bengal for the rest of the week held out no hope for a respite with no rain in sight.

Despite the day's highest temperature dropping to 37 degrees Celsius in Kolkata from Monday's 39.5 degrees, maximum relative humidity of 89 per cent contributed to the discomfort of people.

The five districts of sub-Himalayan West Bengal -- Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar and Alipurduar -- are likely to experience cooler climes with the weather office forecasting light to moderate rain over the next three days.

Other places which recorded above 40 degrees Celsius temperatures are Asansol (43.3), Purulia (42.8), Bardhaman (42.4), Kalaikunda (42.1), Sriniketan (41.9), Baharampur (41.4) and Midnapore (41.5), according to the weather office data.

In view of the heatwave conditions, the state government issued guidelines, asking people to take all forms of precautionary measures.

It asked farmers to avoid working in the fields after 10 am, and advised them to reap the boro paddy if they are 75 per cent ripe.

"In case they need to work beyond that (10 am), they must wear long hats and white dresses. It is advisable for them to go to the field again in the evening," the guidelines said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called an emergency meeting on Wednesday to take stock of the situation amid the prevailing weather conditions, an official said.

Senior officials of departments such as Disaster Management, Agriculture, Power, Irrigation and Health have been asked to be present in the meeting, he said.

District magistrates and senior police officers will also be present in the meeting virtually, he added.

Discussion on 'Duare Sarkar' and 'Paray Samadhan' camps, scheduled to be held next month, will also be held in the meeting. The 'Duare Sarkar' or 'government at doorstep' camps will be held from May 5 to June 5, the official said.

"Discussions will be held on how to run the camps amid the prevailing heatwave conditions," he said.