43 degrees was Delhi's respite, heatwave to return from Friday
New Delhi, May 24: After two days of a persistent heat wave, the National Capital and surrounding regions on Thursday saw "very slight" respite, as average maximum temperature stood at 43 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average.
The heat wave will return from Friday onwards and will continue till at least Monday, affecting Delhi along with north, central and east India, Met scientists told IANS.
The next respite is only likely towards the end of May or first week of June, weather analysts said.
Friday's average maximum temperature is likely to hover around 44 to 45 degrees, while Palam is expected to be hotter.
On Thursday, Palam at 44.1 degrees, four notches above the season's average, was the warmest place in Delhi, causing heat waves with inductive effect on the rest of the region.
Gurugram and Faridabad sizzled at 43 degrees. Thursday's minimum temperature was recorded at 26.5 degrees, the season's average.
A dust storm and thunderstorm, which was supposed to sooth the evening in Delhi, was also averted as the cyclonic circulation over the central Uttar Pradesh was confined to northern Madhya Pradesh and could not make it to the National Capital Region.
"There were some easterly winds in Delhi, which are moist due to which the heat waves were averted, but mercury will gradually rise from Friday onwards and last till the month-end or at least till May 28," Kuldeep Srivastava, scientist at India Meteorological Department (IMD), told IANS.
According to IMD, the heat waves are caused when either the temperature is or above 45 degrees, or if mercury crosses 40 degrees but is five degrees higher than the season's average.
"A cyclonic circulation along with western disturbance might have effects over Jammu and Kashmir towards May 29, so temperatures may fall in Delhi but warming will still be there," Srivastava added.
However, according to private weather forecasting agency Skymet, respite is only likely at the end of May.
"There had been variation in the winds... light rains which would bring the much-needed respite are only likely around May 31 and not before that as was being expected earlier," Mahesh Palawat, Skymet Director, told IANS.
The humidity on Thursday oscillated between 27 to 38 per cent
Even as heat waves were averted by few notches of mercury in Delhi and surrounding areas, the orange warning -- "severe heat alert for the day" -- continues for Delhi till May 28, including Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab, western and eastern Madhya Pradesh, northern Gujarat and Kutch, western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh sand Vidarbha in Maharashtra.
Wednesday's maximum temperature was recorded at 43 degrees, three notches above the season's average while the minimum temperature was 26.7 degrees, the season's average.
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Chhattisgarh Vedanta power plant blast: Death toll rises to 20; sixteen workers undergoing treatment
Sakti (Chhattisgarh) (PTI): The death toll in a blast at the Vedanta power plant in Chhattisgarh's Sakti district has mounted to 20 with seven more workers succumbing to injuries, while 16 others are undergoing treatment at different hospitals, officials said on Wednesday.
The deceased include six labourers from West Bengal, five from Chhattisgarh, three each from Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, two from Bihar, and one from Madhya Pradesh.
The opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
The explosion occurred on Tuesday afternoon in a steel tube carrying high-pressure steam from the boiler to the turbine at the Vedanta Ltd power plant located in Singhitarai village, leaving several workers with severe burn injuries.
According to officials, four workers died on the spot, while nine others succumbed to injuries soon after the incident.
Seven more workers have died in hospitals, raising the toll to 20, Sakti Collector Amrit Vikas Topno told PTI on Wednesday.
He said that a total of 36 workers were affected in the blast, and 20 of them died.
"Of the 16 injured workers, five are undergoing treatment in hospitals in Raipur, while 11 others are in hospitals of Raigarh, the neighbouring district of Sakti," he added.
Topno added that every possible effort was being made to provide the best medical treatment to the injured.
The deceased were identified, and their family members are being contacted. Arrangements have been made to transport the mortal remains to their native villages via ambulance following the postmortem examination and to provide immediate financial assistance, he said.
Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each deceased worker and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Vedanta Power has also announced a Rs 35 lakh compensation for the family of each deceased worker, along with employment support.
The company will also provide Rs 15 lakh to each injured person, ensure salary continuation until recovery, and offer counselling support, a statement from the plant management said.
The chief minister has ordered an inquiry by the Commissioner of the Bilaspur division, assuring strict action against the guilty.
He directed officials to ensure free and proper medical treatment for all injured and emphasised that no negligence in their care would be tolerated.
The district administration has also ordered a separate magisterial probe, while the company has initiated its own internal investigation.
Collector Topno has appointed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dabhra to conduct the magisterial inquiry.
The SDM has been asked to submit a report within 30 days covering key aspects, including the cause of the accident, whether it was due to technical or human error, and details of safety inspections carried out at the plant.
Meanwhile, the opposition Congress has demanded registration of an FIR against the plant management and a judicial inquiry into the incident.
State Congress communication wing head Sushil Anand Shukla on Wednesday alleged negligence on the plant management's part and accused the government of attempting to shield those responsible.
He also demanded compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased and Rs 50 lakh for the injured.
The construction of a 1,200 MW coal-based thermal power project (two units of 600 MW each) in Singhitarai, originally owned by Athena Chhattisgarh Power Ltd, started in 2009, but remained stalled between 2016 and 2022.
Vedanta acquired the plant in 2022, after which a 600 MW unit was completed and commissioned in August last year, while the second unit is still under construction.
The deceased have been identified as Amrit Lal Patel, Thanda Ram Lahre, Udhab Singh Yadav, Rameshwar Mahilange, and Nadeem Ansari (all from Chhattisgarh); Susanta Jana, Sheikh Saifuddin, Manas Giri, Kailash Mahto, Shibnath Murmu, and Dipankar Singh (West Bengal), Tarun Kumar Ojha, Abdul Karim and Ashok Parhiya (Jharkhand), Raju Ram, Pappu Kumar and Brijesh Kumar (Uttar Pradesh), Aakib Khan and Ritesh Kumar (Bihar), and Chitranjan Dhulai of Madhya Pradesh, officials said.
