Odisha Govt Issues Guidelines On Heat Wave Preparedness To Districts

Bhubaneswar: With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday forecasting that mercury is expected to touch 40 degree Celsius by March 1, the state government has issued a set of preventive measures to be taken by district administration.

In a letter to the collectors, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Pradeep Jena has requested to take immediate steps to put in place all preparedness and precautionary measures at different levels in the districts to meet the possible heat wave situations.

The SRC has directed them to take the following measures:

• Take up campaigns immediately to make make people aware about the risks associated with heat wave. Civil society organasations may be widely involved in awareness campaign.
• Take advance steps to identify the water scarcity pockets and prepare action plan for ensuring supply of drinking water through tankers.
• Take extra care to ensure availability of drinking water in schools and colleges. Wherever required tube wells inside the school campus may be repaired to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply.
• Sufficient ORS to be kept in schools, colleges and provided to students and staff. Outdoor activities to be restricted.
• Anganwadi centres to remain open in morning hours only. Availability of potable water in all AWCs ensured.
• Public transport vehicles must carry sufficient potable water and ORS packets to be provided to passengers and staff. During severe heat wave, timings of non-AC vehicle to be rescheduled.
• Working hours of labourers to be rescheduled. No work should be executed in peak heat hours.
• In case of death of a person due to sunstroke, the collectors to conduct immediate joint enquiry by the local revenue officers like tehsildar in urban areas and the local Medical Officer.
• The control rooms at the state level and the district level to function round the clock.

The SRC also issued detailed instructions of previous years to take measures for managing heat wave and water scarcity situation. Besides, a heat wave action plan prepared by the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA )delineating the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for different departments and district administrations were also issued.

Also Read: Mercury Likely To Touch 40C In Bhubaneswar By March 1