Longer-Than-Normal Heatwave: Odisha Govt On High Alert To Ensure Zero Casualty As Temp Soars Past 40°C

Photograph Courtesy: Climate Central

Bhubaneswar: Schools up to Class X in Odisha have been shut for five days from April 12 in the wake of sudden rise in daytime temperature. The Met department has issued a heatwave warning for the state and Tuesday saw nine places recording 40 degree Celsius and above.

On his arrival from Japan last evening, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik instructed panchayat raj and drinking water, housing and urban development and energy departments to remain fully prepared. He stressed smooth supply of drinking water both in urban and rural areas with a special focus on water scarcity pockets.

Naveen also directed the energy department to ensure continuous power supply.

Meanwhile Special Relief Commissioner Satyabrata Sahu has written to collectors, asking them to ensure no human casualty.  Control rooms at district level will function round-the-clock during the period of heatwave. 

MEASURES:

The government also stated that if a person dies from a sunstroke then an immediate joint enquiry has to be conducted by the district collector. “All efforts should be made to see that no human causality occurs due to heat waves. However, if any information on casualty is received or a news report is published in the media, it should be immediately enquired into and the veracity of such reports should be promptly reported to this office,” directives stated.

The MeT office has forecast longer-than-normal heatwaves in parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana and Chhattisgarh during the month of April.