UP CM Yogi Adityanath Alerts Officials Amid Severe Cold, Orders Shelters and Blankets

The article reports on the Uttar Pradesh governments cold wave response, detailing night shelters, blanket procurement and distribution, bonfires for cold stress, and the use of digital alerts to mitigate fog related risks, with district level coordination to reach the homeless and vulnerable.

Lucknow

-Ashish Rana

Uttar
Pradesh
is
facing
a
strong
cold
wave
and
dense
fog,
and
the
Yogi
government
is
on
high
alert.
Chief
Minister
Yogi
Adityanath
has
ordered
officials
in
every
district
to
ensure
shelters,
bonfires
and
blanket
distribution
are
ready
so
that
no
poor
or
destitute
person
is
left
exposed
to
severe
cold.

District
administrations,
urban
local
bodies
and
related
departments
have
been
told
to
run
relief
work
with
full
sensitivity.
The
government
has
stressed
that
every
arrangement
should
stay
functional
throughout
the
cold
wave
period,
including
regular
checks
of
night
shelters,
prompt
response
to
complaints
and
close
coordination
between
departments
for
faster
decisions.

Yogi
Government
Cold
Wave
Alert:
Night
Shelters
and
Shelter
Arrangements

Data
from
the
state
government
shows
1,247
night
shelters
have
been
set
up
across
Uttar
Pradesh
so
far.
These
facilities
have
together
provided
shelter
to
9,949
needy
people
till
now.
District
authorities
have
been
asked
to
ensure
proper
cleanliness,
lighting,
safety
and
availability
of
hot
water
at
each
shelter,
especially
during
late
night
hours.

Officials
must
also
identify
locations
where
extra
temporary
shelters
may
be
needed
if
temperatures
fall
further.
The
administration
has
been
directed
to
keep
special
watch
near
railway
stations,
bus
stands,
main
markets
and
religious
places,
as
these
areas
often
see
higher
numbers
of
homeless
and
migrant
workers
during
winter
nights.

Yogi
Government
Cold
Wave
Alert:
Blanket
Distribution
and
Financial
Allocation

The
Yogi
government
has
placed
blanket
distribution
at
the
centre
of
its
cold
wave
response.
Over
the
last
three
years,
districts
purchased
an
average
of
10,65,889
blankets,
with
nearly
Rs
44.38
crore
spent
each
year.
Under
the
current
plan,
Rs
17.55
crore
has
already
been
released
to
all
districts
for
fresh
procurement
and
distribution.

According
to
official
figures,
all
75
districts
have
issued
purchase
orders
for
blankets.
Suppliers
have
so
far
delivered
3,78,884
blankets
to
these
districts.
Out
of
these,
1,40,364
blankets
have
already
reached
identified
needy
persons,
while
remaining
stock
is
being
distributed.
Officials
have
been
told
to
prioritise
the
homeless,
daily
wage
workers
and
people
in
remote
rural
areas.

For
additional
clarity,
the
state’s
expenditure
and
distribution
status
can
be
read
in
the
table
below.

Along
with
blankets
and
shelters,
the
government
has
arranged
bonfires
at
public
places
to
reduce
cold
stress.
All
districts
have
received
Rs
1.75
crore
in
total
for
lighting
bonfires.
Data
on
the
number
and
locations
of
bonfires
lit
each
day
is
uploaded
on
a
relief
portal,
allowing
continuous
monitoring
at
the
state
level
and
timely
corrections
where
gaps
appear.

The
administration
is
also
dealing
with
risks
from
dense
fog
through
technology.
The
Relief
Commissioner’s
office
has
used
the
Sachet
app
and
web
portal
to
send
33.27
crore
alert
SMS
messages
so
far.
These
alerts
reach
officials
and
common
citizens
in
affected
districts.
In
parallel,
departments
like
UPEIDA,
NHAI
and
PWD
are
emailing
regular
fog-related
advisories
to
district
magistrates
and
district
police
to
help
reduce
road
accidents.

The
overall
approach
of
the
Yogi
government
during
the
current
cold
wave
depends
on
three
main
tools:
shelter
facilities,
distribution
of
blankets
and
active
use
of
alerts
for
fog.
With
financial
backing
already
released
and
digital
monitoring
in
place,
officials
have
been
instructed
to
ensure
that
no
person
in
Uttar
Pradesh
suffers
due
to
lack
of
basic
protection
from
cold.