When at least 11 individuals died from sunstroke, Ajit Pawar, the leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly, requested an investigation into how the “Maharashtra Bhushan” award ceremony was planned in Navi Mumbai at midday, when the temperature was very high.
The event, which took place on a 306-acre site in the Kharghar district on Sunday, drew thousands of attendees. The highest temperature was 38 degrees Celsius, according to the nearby weather station.
Pawar went to the MGM Hospital in Navi Mumbai’s Kamothe neighborhood late on Sunday night to inquire about the wellbeing of those receiving treatment for sunstroke.
Speaking to reporters, he described the occurrence as “very sad” and said that the patients’ quick recovery was the top concern.
The head of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said that it was a duty of the Maharashtra administration. It is common knowledge that the months of April and May see unusually high temperatures. He said that the temperature is now at 40 degrees Celsius.
Thus, the NCP leader added, “it has to be investigated as to who had established the noon time for the award event.”
According to Pawar, the event might have taken place in the evening, and Union Home Minister Amit Shah could have flown there on a helicopter.
During the occasion on Sunday, Shah presented Appasaheb Dharmadhikari, a spiritual leader and social reformer, with the Maharashtra Bhushan Award.
Given that the patients were receiving care at several facilities in and around Kharghar in Navi Mumbai, the authorities were unable to provide a precise figure for the number of people who had become sick.
In a statement on Sunday night, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said, “At least 11 fatalities reportedly caused by sunstroke have been verified.
According to a police spokesman, although some individuals were brought to hospitals and kept under monitoring, others were released after making a full recovery.
At least 50 patients were admitted to a hospital in Navi Mumbai, according to Shinde, of whom 24 remain hospitalized and the remaining 48 have been released after receiving primary care. The fatalities, he said, were “extremely tragic.”
The deceased’s family would get compensation in the amount of Rs. 5 lakh, according to Shinde.
Eight of the dead were women. According to authorities, ten of the remains were given to the family.
Several of Shree Parivar’s (Dharmadhikari’s organization) supporters arrived at the location on Friday and remained there till the event was over at approximately 1.30 pm on Sunday.
Several individuals on Sunday reported experiencing vertigo and other issues. Other people at the event ground also passed out. They received first care in makeshift hospitals before being sent there immediately after.
Due to his efforts throughout the state to plant trees, organize blood drives, hold medical clinics, and treat addiction in tribal regions, Dharmadhikari has a huge following.
