No cooking in the day times, Bihar government says, initiating a new solution, to control the heatstroke deaths in the state.

66 people and 1200 animals were killed in the past two weeks in Bihar. Reacting to this issue, Bihar government is not allowing its state residents to cook between 9 am and 6 pm. The violators would be jailed for upto two years.

Not just in the houses, even the functions involving fire,  have also been banned by the government.

According to Nitish Kumar's government, heavy winds are picking up sparks from the cooking fires and igniting the  straw huts.

Two days ago, about 300 huts were burnt in the Begusarai district.

"The point is that hundreds of lives are at risk. The order has only been given after a detailed survey on just how the fires started. The jail term is based on a law on disaster management," says Vyasji, the Bihar government official in charge of handling disasters.

Reacting to the government's latest initiative, Satendar Bind, a resident of Jehanabad says, "It sounds fine but I wonder how many people will follow it. There are practical difficulties. But yes... I did lose my home in a fire and it started from someone's cooking."

Even the police opined that, enforcing such an order would be tough, but the threat of punishment may spur villagers from moving against it.  

Not just in Bihar, the heat wave has led to more than 100 deaths across the country, especially in the Telugu states and also in Odisha.

By Phani Ch