ROURKELA: The killer summer of 2024 still fresh in memory, the Sundargarh district administration has geared up to fight heat related illness as mercury soars across the state.
At the district-level natural disaster management committee meeting on Sunday, Sundargarh collector Manoj S Mahajan reviewed preparedness to effectively fight heat wave condition in the days ahead.
About 13 lives were lost due to heat wave conditions last year.
The meeting discussed the necessity of changing timing of schools and anganwadi centres to morning hours whenever the need arose. Instruction was also issued for establishment of control rooms at Sundargarh district headquarter town, all 17 block headquarters, Birmitrapur, Sundargarh and Rajgangpur municipalities and Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC). Timely supply of accurate information to higher authorities in the event of emergency situation was given stress.
The collector instructed the Rural Water Supply & Sanitation (RWSS), WATCO as well as urban local bodies (ULBs) to identify areas having drinking water scarcity and take appropriate action. Measures such as immediate repair of defunct hand pumps, identification of areas needing supply through water tankers, prevention of forest fire and awareness about care of domestic animals were emphasised.
The health administration was instructed to stock up necessary medicines and ORS in hospitals and healthcare centres while setting up special wards for patients suffering from heat stress. Uninterrupted power supply with additional availability of diesel generator sets for heat wave wards must be ensured, Mahajan said. The block development officers and tehsildars were advised to inspect preparations.
It was also informed that employers should not engage workers in outdoor activities during peak summer hours and take necessary precautionary measures at work sites.
The Rourkela and Sundargarh regional transport officers (RTOs) were asked to issue necessary instruction to passenger bus operators. Widespread awareness to educate people to effectively fight heat wave was also discussed.
Rourkela ADM and RMC Commissioner Ashutosh Kulkarni, Sundargarh ADMs RN Sahoo and Abhimanyu Majhi and Sundargarh zilla parishad chief development officer and executive officer Suranjan Sahoo attended.
Last year, from May 30 to June 15, about 36 allegations of heat stroke deaths were received from across the district with at least 10 such casualties occurring at the Rourkela Government Hospital on May 30.