DO’s

Must for All

• Listen to Radio; watch TV; read Newspaper for local weather news or download weather information related mobile app.
• Drink sufficient water - even if not thirsty. Persons with epilepsy or heart, kidney or liver disease who are on fluid-restricted diets; or have a problem with fluid retention should consult a doctor before increasing liquid intake.
• Use ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution), homemade drinks like lassi, torani (rice water), lemon water, buttermilk, coconut water, etc. to keep yourself hydrated
• Wear lightweight, light-coloured, loose, cotton clothes.
• If outside, cover your head: Use a cloth, hat or umbrella. Use sunglasses to protect your eyes and sunscreen to protect your skin.
• Get trained in first aid.
• Take special care for the elderly, children, sick or overweight as they are more likely to become victims of excessive heat.
• Grow more trees.

Employers and Workers

• Provide cool drinking water at the workplace.
• Provide resting shade clean water, buttermilk, first-aid kits with ice-packs and ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) for all workers.
• Caution workers to avoid direct sunlight.
• Schedule strenuous jobs to cooler times of the day.
• Increasing the frequency and length of rest breaks for outdoor activities
• Give lighter work and shorter hours to workers new to a high heat area.
• Pregnant women and workers with a medical condition should be given additional attention
• Notify workers about heat wave alerts

Other Precautions

• Stay indoors as much as possible.
• Traditional remedies like onion salad and raw mango with salt and cumin can prevent heat stroke.
• Never leave children or pets alone in a closed vehicle.
• Use fans, damp clothing and take a bath in cold water frequently.
• Offer water to vendors and delivery people who come to your home or office.
• Use public transport and car-pooling. This will help reduce global warming and heat.
• Don’t burn dry leaves, agriculture residue and garbage.
• Conserve water bodies. Practice rainwater harvesting.
• Use energy-efficient appliances, clean fuel and alternative sources of energy
• If you feel dizzy or ill, see a doctor immediately or ask somebody to take you to the doctor immediately.

For a cooler home

• Use solar reflective white paint, cool roof technology, air-light and cross ventilation and thermocol insulation for low-cost cooling. You can also keep haystacks or grow vegetation on roofs.
• Install temporary window reflectors such as aluminium foil-covered cardboard to reflect heat back outside
• Keep your home cool, use dark colour curtains, tinted glass/ shutters or sunshade and open windows at night. Try to remain on the lower floors
• Green roofs, green walls and indoor plants reduce heat by cooling the building naturally, reducing air-conditioning requirements and release of waste heat.
• Maintain AC temperature at 24 degrees or higher. This will reduce your electricity bill and make your health better.

While constructing a new home:

• Use cavity wall technology instead of regular walls.
• Construct thick walls. They keep the interiors cool.
• Construct lattice walls and louvered openings. They allow maximum air flow while blocking the heat.
• Use natural materials like lime or mud to coat walls.
• Avoid glass, if possible.
• Consult a Building Technology expert before construction.

For Cattle

• Keep animals in shade and give them plenty of clean and cold water to drink.
• Do not make them work between 11am to 4pm.
• Cover the shed roof with straw, paint it white or plaster with dung-mud to reduce temperature
• Use fans, water spray and foggers in the shed.
• During extreme heat, spray water and take cattle to a water body to cool off
• Give them green grass, protein-fat bypass supplement, mineral mixture and salt. Make them graze during cooler hours.

DON’T

• Avoid going out in the sun, especially between 12.00 noon and 3.00 p.m
• Avoid strenuous activities when outside in the afternoon.
• Do not go out barefoot
• Avoid cooking during peak hours. Open doors and windows to ventilate cooking area adequately.
• Avoid alcohol, tea, coffee and carbonated soft drinks, which dehydrates the body.
• Avoid high-protein, salty, spicy and oily food. Do not eat stale food.
• Do not leave children or pets in parked vehicles.
• Avoid using incandescent light bulbs which may generate unnecessary heat, as can computers or appliances.

Tips for treatment of a person affected by sunstroke:

• Use a wet cloth / pour water on the victim’s head.
• Give the person ORS to drink or lemon sarbat / torani or whatever is useful to rehydrate the body.
• Take the person immediately to the nearest health centre.
• If consistently experiencing high body temperature, throbbing headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea or disorientation in the summer, call an ambulance.