Bhubaneswar: With the wind pattern supporting a rise in the day temperature, mercury soared past 36°C in Bhubaneswar on the first day of March.
While the state capital recorded 36.2°C, Jharsuguda was the hottest in the state at 36.4°C. The other places where the day temperature hovered around 35°C and above include Mahisapat in Dhenkanal (36.5°C), Sonepur (36.2°C), Angul (36.1°C), Baripada (36°C), Titlagarh and Talcher at 35.8°C each, Sambalpur (35.6°C), Bhawanipatna (35.4°C), Chandbali and Ranital in Bhadrak recorded 35.8°C and 35.2°C respectively.
Cuttack city recorded 34.4°C.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast no large change in the day and night temperatures during the next 5 days amid the prevailing dry weather conditions.
Meanwhile, the Higher Education department has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SO
P) for heatwave management at all institutions under its jurisdiction. “Classes, internal assessments and examinations shall, as far as practicable, be conducted o and rescheduled during the morning hours to avoid exposure of students to peak heat conditions. Institutions may suitably adjust daily timetables keeping local heat conditions in view,” the notification said.
It has also advised against conducting outdoor academic, sports and co-curricular activities during the afternoon hours. “…Where unavoidable, such activities must be conducted with adequate safeguards and preferably during relatively cooler periods of the day.”
Additionally, all institutions have been directed to ensure the uninterrupted supply of safe and potable drinking water at multiple points within campuses and access to adequate stocks of Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) in classrooms, hostels, common areas and examination centres. The SOP also mandates inspection and repair of tubewells, hand pumps and drinking water facilities to prevent disruption in water supply during the summer months.
Colleges and universities have been further instructed to keep basic first aid facilities ready to address heat-related discomfort, dehydration, dizziness and other medical emergencies.