Overview
- Local reporting on May 28–29 documented new sunstroke deaths in Mancherial and Adilabad, including daily-wage workers and a farm labourer who were brought to hospitals and declared dead.
- The State Revenue (Disaster Management) Department lists 19 suspected heatstroke deaths this season with one medically confirmed case, while District Medical and Health Officers report at least 48 suspected deaths pending verification.
- Telangana requires strict medical and administrative proof to confirm a heat death — ante-mortem core temperature of ≥40.5°C, altered mental status, no alternate diagnosis, and a three-member certification that includes a doctor, police sub-inspector and tahsildar — a process that can take weeks.
- Officials say the ₹4 lakh ex-gratia announced for confirmed heat deaths has produced contested claims and prompted extra caution in certification, which activists say worsens undercounting and slows relief to bereaved families.
- The State’s Heatwave Action Plan 2026 maps wide vulnerability across districts and calls for water, shade and health measures, but NGOs report uneven implementation on the ground and outdoor workers continue to face sustained exposure and illness.