Bhubaneswar: In view of the scorching heatwave sweeping Odisha, the government has announced revised operating hours for Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) across the state as a precautionary measure.
Sources said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi directed the officials to revise the operating hours of Anganwadi centres. Following a review meeting on heatwave mitigation, he ordered that Anganwadi centres should function from 7 am to 9 am to ensure children’s safety.
A ‘MOST URGENT’ circular from the Department of Women & Child Development directed all district collectors to implement the changes immediately.
As per the revised schedule, Anganwadi Centres operating in their own buildings or other fully designated spaces will function from 7 am to 9 am instead of the usual 9 am to 2 pm. Additionally, those centres that use school classrooms must also operate between 7 am and 9 am to ensure they are vacated before school hours.
The directive allows for AWCs to remain closed if heatwave conditions worsen, in which case beneficiaries will be provided dry rations instead of regular meals.
In addition, district collectors have been instructed to ensure compliance with the revised schedule and take necessary precautions for the safety of children and staff.
The CM has instructed the Education Department to develop a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for conducting morning classes in schools.
He also directed the Energy Department to prevent power cuts between 11 AM to 5 PM and 9 PM to 6 AM during the summer months to minimise disruptions.
To strengthen heatwave preparedness, the Chief Minister asked the District Collectors to actively participate in mitigation efforts and ensure officials of the district administration conduct field visits in rural areas. The timings for the district-level grievance cell have been revised to 7 AM to 10 AM, considering the challenges people face due to extreme heat.
Officials have been instructed to identify areas with drinking water shortages and ensure adequate arrangements, such as installing borewells and hand pumps. He also issued a directive mandating a halt on physical labour, including work undertaken by public and private contractors—between 11 am and 3 pm to protect workers from extreme heat exposure.
For the benefit of commuters, Majhi suggested installing shaded structures at traffic points in urban areas. Shade and drinking water facilities will also be set up at bus stands in rural areas to help people cope with rising temperature.
