Sir: A severe heatwave has been persisting in the country for several days. In Karachi, the mercury level has risen to 45 degrees Celsius. Even the sea breeze is causing more humidity. A sharp rise in temperature has been causing many problems. It causes dehydration, heat stroke, sunburns and rashes. More than 1,200 persons have become the victim of the ongoing heatwave. More patients are being brought to hospitals with complaints of heat exhaustion and dehydration. An emergency has been declared in public hospitals. There is no space for keeping dead bodies in cold storage houses. Since it is difficult to keep them at home or in hospitals, some of these bodies have been buried without ascertaining their identity. The off and on outages of electricity have worsened the situation. The authorities concerned should look into these matters. Our worthy prime minister thinks that these deaths have occurred due to a lack of awareness of protective measures against the extreme heat. This shows the ignorance of our rulers, who are unaware of the basic problems faced by the people. Poor economic conditions, mismanagement and corruption are the main reasons for the ongoing energy crisis in the country.JAVED BASHIRLahore