With temperatures expected to surge by 4 to 7 degrees Celsius across Punjab this month, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued urgent guidelines to tackle the looming heatwave.

As per DG PDMA Irfan Ali Kathia, major cities, plains, and particularly the southern districts of Punjab could face extreme heat conditions.

According to directives from Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, all related departments are being coordinated by the PDMA to undertake precautionary steps. Public places have been directed by District Commissioners to provide heatwave protective arrangements, and a public campaign has been initiated province-wide through announcements in mosques, helpline numbers, and extensive media coverage.

The Department of School Education has been instructed to limit students' outdoor activities and install heatwave awareness flex banners on school entrances. Further, farmers are being alerted about the possibility of crop damage caused by intense heat, and the Department of Local Government has been instructed to provide water at public gathering places.

The PDMA spokesperson underlined the importance of vigilance in transport areas, instructing authorities to install awareness banners at railway stations and bus stands. Veterinary care facilities have been instructed to remain operational 24/7, with clean drinking water available in livestock markets.

Hospitals in Punjab have been instructed to establish heatwave counters, with required medicines to treat patients on an urgent basis. Mobile health units and permanent medical camps will also be stationed at public places.

Citizens are discouraged from undertaking excessive outdoor movements, maintaining water intake, dressing in light colors, and shielding the head from sunlight when outside. Specific precautions should be taken in cases of children, old people, and chronic ailment sufferers, especially patients suffering from heart disorders.