SAMBALPUR: A 55-year-old junior teacher engaged in census duty in Sonepur district allegedly died due to heatstroke on Sunday, raising concerns over the working conditions of field staff during the scorching summer.
The deceased was identified as Bansidhar Bhoi, a junior teacher of Sunapali primary school who was appointed as an enumerator for the ongoing house listing work of Census 2026-27 in Ulunda block.
Official sources said Bhoi had gone for census-related work in Sunapali village on Sunday morning. After returning home in the afternoon, he reportedly complained of uneasiness. His condition worsened later in the evening following which he was rushed to Birmaharajpur sub-divisional Hospital (SDH). However, he died a few hours after his admission.
According to the preliminary inquiry conducted by the tehsildar-cum-charge census officer of Ulunda, Bhoi was assigned enumeration duty in multiple households under Sunapali village houselisting block (HLB). After performing his duty, he returned home before falling ill. The report was submitted to the Sonepur collector on Monday.
Collector Nrupraj Sahoo said he has received the preliminary inquiry report from the tehsildar. Basing on the report, further investigation is underway. He assured that the administration would extend government assistance to the bereaved family.
Confirming the death, district emergency officer Rajesh Kumar Sahoo said the teacher died while undergoing treatment in the hospital on Sunday evening. The postmortem report is awaited to ascertain the exact cause of death.
On the other hand, the deceased teacher’s wife alleged that exposure to extreme heat and harsh weather conditions during census duty caused his death. Bhoi is survived by his wife and two minor daughters.
The incident has sparked concerns over the safety and working conditions of teachers and other field-level staff engaged in outdoor assignments amid the blistering hot conditions. Locals have called for adequate safeguards and support measures to protect personnel deployed in such duties.