'Heat stress played major role in stampede, daytime rallies must be banned'

ENVIRONMENTAL group Poovulagin Nanbargal has urged the state government to ban daytime political rallies between February and October and called on the union government to classify extreme heat as a disaster under the Disaster Management Act.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

The appeal follows the group’s study, which found that heat stress was a major factor in the Karur stampede that claimed 41 lives. It also called for ban on roadshows that force people to wait for hours in heat without shade or water.