The state election commission has pledged to make some cool arrangements for voters, who will have to face the cruel May heat while exercising their democratic franchise for the civic polls.

Elections to civic bodies across the state are scheduled on May 16, when the temperature is likely to be around 42ºC.

From arranging drinking water facilities to constructing tents, from keeping ambu-lances ready to setting up mobile toilets, the poll panel has pledged a host of facilities to ensure that the voters come out of their homes, despite the scorching heat, to elect their respective councillors.

“Local civic bodies and the public health and engineering department have been asked to keep water tanks ready at all polling centres to ensure that the voters do not face any difficulty on the day of the election,” state election commissioner H.C. Sirohi said.

“The voters, as well as the electoral officers and workers, might have to stand in long queues for hours. Poll observers have been asked to coordinate with the local administration to keep all private and government ambulances on stand-by at the control room. Routes for these ambulances would be prepared in advance so that the vehicles can reach the spots on time in case of any emergency,” he added.

About 60 lakh people are expected to cast their votes in the coming civic polls to elect 2,760 ward councillors from 114 urban local bodies — seven municipal corporations, 38 municipal councils and 69 nagar panchayats across the state.

According to sources, 99 nominations have been filed in the past two days. Of them, five nominations — three from Nalanda and two from Patna district — have been cancelled by the election commission for criminal cases pending against them.

Sirohi said: “We will see that one building does not house two polling booths to avoid rush of voters at a centre. Proper arrangements would also be made to ensure cleanliness and hygiene at the polling centres. The commission would ensure that the polling booths are situated close to roads. In no case, a voter will have to go outside his or her ward.”

Joint election commissioner Ahibhushan Pandey told The Telegraph that over 7,000 polling booths would be set up across the state, while 62 observing officers would be on duty to ensure peaceful polling.

The state election commission has also decided to keep in place a dedicated women’s cell at each polling centre, while the observing officers are expected to keep a check on whether a separate room is allocated for the cell and a corresponding board put up at its entrance or not.

“There is a large number of slums in the state and many voters live in such areas. Keeping this in mind, we have decided to set up polling centres at the slums as well. The state election commission wants to ensure that even the most backward people get the opportunity to exercise their democratic franchise,” Sirohi said.