BHUBANESWAR: With IMD predicting high chances of heatwave in parts of Odisha from this month, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) is mulling to set up around 140 water kiosks in the capital city. The civic body will set up the water kiosks across the city in public-private partnership mode, involving corporate houses, social organisations, associations and local communities among others. The corporation has also asked the corporators to open water kiosks in their respective wards at the earliest to deal with the rising level of mercury in the City. Mayor Sulochana Das who inaugurated some of the water kiosks in different parts of the city said a total 136 water kiosks had been opened in the city during the previous summers. “Steps are being taken to create more number of such kiosks this time,” she said.
The mayor also informed that apart from water kiosks, help centre will also be activated and healthcentres will be readied soon to deal effectively with the possible heatwave situation. Officials said as decided earlier utmost care will be taken at the water kiosks to ensure that the quality of the water is not compromised. Meanwhile, the heat index prepared by the BMC with the help of Odisha State Disaster Management Authority has indicated that nearly two dozen wards in the state capital are prone to severe heat conditions. Keeping this in view, the civic body will also focus on regulation of working hours for the outdoor workers from April onwards as per the advisory of the Labour