Kanpur:

In a worrying factor, several bats were found dead in the Nana Rao Park in Kanpur due to the intense heatwave that has gripped the region.

The carcasses were found in the park, where hundreds of bats live. Locals said they encountered bats falling from the trees, writhing in pain on the ground before succumbing to the heat.

With temperatures breaching the 45 degrees Celsius mark, locals added that bats were dying in large numbers in the park and the accumulation of carcasses resulted in a foul smell throughout the park.

Bats play an important role in habitats around the world and in India. Some tropical plants depend partly or wholly on certain bat species to pollinate their flowers or spread their seeds, while many bats help control insects by feeding on them and save farmers thousands of rupees in pest control chemicals.

Dr Anurag Singh, a veterinary officer at Kanpur Zoo, said bats are particularly susceptible to heat as they feel temperatures two degrees Celsius higher than humans.

“When the temperature in Kanpur hits 44 to 45 degrees Celsius, bats experience it as 47 to 48 degrees. Their suffering is compounded by the lack of accessible water sources, leading to heat strokes,” Dr Singh said.

He said that to prevent bats from dying, areas under trees should be kept moist and filled with water so that these animals get some relief from the relentless heat.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Lucknow:

Thirty-three poll personnel died due to heat-related conditions during the seventh phase of the Lok Sabha election held in 13 constituencies in the state on Saturday, according to Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Navdeep Rinwa.

The number included home guards, sanitation workers and other poll staff.

A voter also died at a booth in the Sikandarpur area of Ballia Lok Sabha constituency, he said.

The voter, Ram Badan Chauhan, who was standing at the polling booth, fell unconscious and was rushed to a health centre where doctors pronounced him dead, he added.

All District Magistrates have been directed to submit a report about the death of poll personnel in the respective constituencies, CEO Rinwa said.

The district administration officials will also submit an autopsy report of the personnel, he added.

Under the order of the Election Commission, the family members of the poll personnel will be given Rs 15 lakh compensation, he said.

A PAC Constable posted at Ramabai Ambedkar ground, guarding EVMs, died in Lucknow on Saturday.

JCP (Law and Order) Upendra Agarwal confirmed the constable’s death, saying that coolers and other facilities were available for officers on duty at the site.

He said that the exact cause of death would be determined after a post-mortem.

In the seventh phase, polling was held in Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushinagar, Deoria, Bansgaon (SC), Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur and Robertsganj (SC) in Uttar Pradesh.

The Election Commission had deployed 1,08,349 poll personnel for poll duty in this phase.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)