Chandigarh, January 6, 2021: Amid the dense cold in the region, the UT Chandigarh has issued a public advisory asking residents to take precautions against the cold wave.
“It is for the information of the general public, resident of Chandigarh that the Cold Wave in the year 2020-21 will be having an onset before usual period and will be also extending for a prolonged period due to several western disturbances,” read the advisory.
To avoid cold wave related adverse impacts, the administration has prepared DO’s and Don’ts:
Do’s and Don’ts for Cold Wave
Do’s
Before:
• Have adequate winter clothing. Multiple layers of clothing are also useful.
• Have emergency supplies ready.
During:
• Stay indoor as much as possible, minimise travel to prevent exposure to cold wind.
• Keep dry. If wet, change clothes quickly to prevent loss of body heat.
• Prefer mittens over glovers; mittens provide more warmth and insulation from cold.
• Listen to radio, watch TV, read newspapers for weather updates.
• Drink hot drinks regularly.
• Take care of elderly people and children.
• Store adequate water as pipes may freeze.
• Watch out for symptoms of frostbite like numbness, white or pale appearance on fingers, toes, ear lobes and the tip of the nose.
• Put the areas affected by frostbite in warm not hot water (the temperature should be comfortable to touch for unaffected parts of the body).
In the case of Hypothermia:
• Get the person into a warm place and change his/her clothes.
• Warm the person’s body with skin-to-skin contact, dry layers of blankets, clothes, towels, or sheets.
• Give warm drinks to help increase body temperature. Do not give alcohol.
• Seek medical attention if the condition worsens.
Don’ts
• Don’t drink alcohol. It reduces your body temperature.
• Do not massage the frostbitten area. This can cause more damage.
• Do not ignore shivering. It is an important first sign that the body is losing heat and a signal to quickly return indoor.
Adequate arrangements of Shelters:
• The UT Administration/MC Office is going to setup Night Shelters at various places in the Union Territory of Chandigarh especially for the poor/homeless peoples in these situations. The detail of venues are as under for information:
1. Sector 41, near Night Food Street
2. Sector 32 near GMCH
3. Sector 16 near General Hospital
4. Sector 19 near Shani Mandir
5. Sector 20 near Luxmi Narayan Mandir
6. Sector 22 Opp. J.W. Marriot Hotel
7. Sector 43 at ISBT
8. Sector 29 in front of Sai Baba Mandir
9. Sector 9 backside of Amartax.
The National Disaster management Authority is also regularly conducting awareness campaigns on cold wave on the social media platform. TVCs on cold wave prepared by NDMA can be accessed at https://bit.ly/3k11VE7 (English) and https://bit.ly/369wWxY (Hindi).
