Bhubaneswar:
With the day temperature already crossing 35 degree Celsius at several places in the state in the middle of February, Odisha government has issued specific guidelines on how to tackle the ensuing summer which is likely to be very hot this time, official sources said.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) P K Jena issued a letter to all district collectors on Wednesday as the mercury level crossed 35 degree Celsius in at least nine places across the state. The state capital Bhubaneswar recorded 38 degree Celsius and was the hottest place in the state for the second consecutive day.
A heatwave action plan has been developed by the Odisha Disaster Management Authority delineating the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for different departments, district administrations and others to mitigate the heatwave situation, Jena said.
The SRC directed the district authorities to take advance steps to identify the water scarcity pockets and prepare an action plan for ensuring supply of water for drinking and other uses through tankers to those areas.
He said that the summer season is fast approaching. “I request you to take immediate steps to put in place all preparedness and precautionary measures at different levels in your districts to meet the possible heatwave situation,” Jena said directing district administrations to respond to reports of water scarcity immediately.
In case schools and educational institutions remain open, extra care has to be taken to ensure the availability of drinking water in all school and colleges. Wherever required tube wells inside the school campus may be repaired to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply, the letter said.
Sufficient ORS are also to be kept in schools, colleges and provided to students and staff requiring the same. Outdoor activities have to be restricted so the students are not exposed to heatwave conditions, the guideline added.
Anganwadi centres will remain open in the morning hours only. Availability of potable water in all AWCs must be checked and ensured, the SRC asked the district collectors.
All public transport vehicles must carry sufficient potable water and ORS packets to be provided to passengers and staff requiring the same. During severe heatwave conditions, timings of non-air conditioned public transport services may have to be rescheduled avoiding their plying during peak hours of heatwave.
The timing for engagement of labourers and workmen at worksites may be rescheduled. No work should be executed in peak hours during a heatwave period.
The letter said that on receiving reports regarding death of a person due to sunstroke either at workplace or any other area, the district collector should arrange to conduct immediate joint inquiry of the case by the local revenue officer and the local medical officer to be nominated by Chief District Medical Officers or Sub-Divisional Medical Officer.
“The joint inquiry report with the countersignature of the collector should reach this office within 48 hours of the reported death. This is to ensure by all collectors unfailingly,” the SRC said in the letter.
Where, upon enquiry, the death is confirmed to have occurred due to sunstroke, immediate steps shall be taken to process the case for sanction and payment of ex-gratia to the bereaved family, it said, adding that the control rooms at the state level and the district level shall function round the clock during the period of heatwave.
During the heatwave period, a Calamity Management Group under the leadership of the collector should review the situation as well as relief measures every day and a daily situation report be sent by the collector to the office of the SRC, the letter said.
Deputy Special Relief Commissioner Pravat Mohapatra said in the year 1998 heatwave claimed the life of 2,042 people.
The state government started an awareness drive which reduced the heatwave death toll to 54 in 2016 and 12 last year, he added.
