BHUBANESWAR: The Office of Special relief commissioner (SRC) on Wednesday asked all collectors to take precautionary measures to tackle prevailing heatwave conditions and open shelters for the poor in their respective districts.
In a letter to the collectors, SRC Satyabrata Sahu said efforts should be made to ensure zero casualties and any report of death should be immediately inquired into. Since the heatwave conditions are likely to prevail for some more days, districts should remain alert.
“Urban shelters, community buildings and other public buildings in urban and rural areas may be used as day shelters for the homeless and needy people,” he said. Separate arrangements should be made for men and women in the shelters where safe drinking water and ORS sachets may be arranged. Besides, public awareness campaigns should be carried out and leaflets containing do’s and don’ts distributed among people to make them aware of ways to protect themselves and their livestock from heat wave, he said.
The district administrations should take advanced steps to identify water scarcity pockets and prepare an action plan for ensuring supply of water for drinking and other uses through tankers to such areas. Reports of water scarcity are to be responded to immediately, Sahu said.
Besides, the SRC directed district authorities to store sufficient stock of life-saving medicines, saline and ORS in dispensaries, PHCs, CHCs, sub-division and district headquarters hospitals. “Special arrangements may be made and separate wards/beds earmarked for treatment of heat stroke patients in different hospitals. The ESI dispensaries may be directed to treat the general public,” he said.