Bhubaneswar: With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting a further rise in temperature by 2 to 3 degree Celsius, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Tuesday directed corporators to open water kiosks in their respective wards with the mercury likely to hover around 38 degree Celsius in the Odisha capital in the next few days.
On February 8, Mayor Sulochana Das presided over a preparatory meeting, which was attended by BMC Commissioner Vijay Amruta Kulange and other senior officials of the civic body, to deliberate upon an action plan to tackle the heatwave condition in the capital city.
The Mayor had then asked the officials concerned to take the necessary steps for setting up of water kiosks in the city and repair the defunct water ATMs. The health officials were directed to make necessary arrangements to treat sunstroke victims. The meeting also decided to issue an SOP for common people as well as daily workers after receiving the department-wise plans.
Notably, two dozen wards in the state capital are prone to severe heat conditions and fall in the red category, according to the heat index prepared by BMC with the help of Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA). They are ward no 52, 65, 66 20 and some parts of ward no 5, 9,10, 11, 12, 14, 21, 22, 23,34, 40, 41, 49, 50, 67. The highest temperature of 44 degree Celsius was recorded in ward no 23 and 52 last year and 43 degree Celsius in ward no 64 while the mercury had soared to 42 degree Celsius in ward no 5, 8, 22, 49, 50, 66 and 67 and touched 41 degree Celsius in another 20 wards.
