JAGATSINGHPUR:With the mercury hovering around 42 degree Celsius, three persons have died reportedly due to sunstroke in different parts of the district in the last one week. As the monsoon is set to enter the State in mid-June, the district is set for hot and humid condition for another fortnight.
Babuli Sahu (50), a farmer of Banabarda village under Tirtol police limits, died of sun stroke while he was working on his paddy field on Friday. He fell unconscious and was shifted to a local hospital where the doctors declared him brought dead. Tirtol police has sent the body for post-mortem.
In another incident, 40-year-old Jaya Prakash Behera of Gopalpur village under Raghunathpur police limits died last week. In Balikuda also, sunstroke claimed one person during the period.
However, Tirtol Tehsildar Kanak Champa Meher said her office had not received any information regarding sunstroke deaths. “If a complaint is filed, we will conduct a joint inquiry with the Revenue Department and police verification will be sought,” she added.
While the day temperature is unbearable and people prefer to remain indoors, the evenings hardly bring any relief. With hot wind blowing throughout the day and humidity level remaining high, the fans are of little use. The air coolers and ACs bring temporary relief as scorching heat from dry land is not cooled by natural sources.
Environmentalist Amar Prasad Mohanty blamed the rampant depletion of forests and green cover in coastal areas besides massive destruction of mangrove forests in Erasama, Balikuda and Kujanga blocks for the rise in temperature.
Last year, about three lakh trees were felled for the proposed steel plant of Posco in Nuagaon and Gadakujanga panchayats which has added to the climate change, he added.