With sweltering temperatures reaching mercurial highs, the arrival of a scorching heat-wave is imminent. Odisha is ready to face the challenge head-on, State Chief Secretary AP Padhi remarked on Wednesday. He announced that several deliberations were made in order to ensure minimal damage across the summer months.
Some of the key announcements include:
- Workers in the unorganised sector would have reduced work timings, with a mandatory break from 11 AM to 3.30 PM.
- Specific instructions provided to health department officials to ensure adequate facilities in hospitals to treat patients afflicted with sunstroke. Uninterrupted power supply through the use of backup generators are a must in the heat wave ward/cool rooms in the hospitals.
- The Women and Child Development and Mission Department secretary said that all work in Anganwadi centres would be restricted between 6 AM and 10 AM.
- The Commerce and Transport Department was notified to regulate bus timings during peak summer. All buses and public transport are to have potable water and ORS. Availability of drinking water must be ensured at all bus stands and truck terminals.
- School timings shall be restricted beginning April 2, and summer vacations would ensue from May 5. First-aid and ORS packets are to be maintained by each school.
- No load-shedding during the peak hours, and any such instances must be rare and during the wee hours of the day.
Various other measures are also being adopted, with the supply of adequate water to rural and urban centres a top priority. While 2,042 people died out of heatwave conditions in 1998, the situation has progressively improved over the years; with only fifteen falling prey to the intense heat last year.