Bhubaneswar: With the gradual increase in day temperature, State Administration has been gearing up to tackle possible heat wave situations during this summer.
The government has decided to instruct all concerned persons to refrain labourers from outdoor work between 11 am and 3.30 pm from May 1 to June 15.
This decision was taken at the state-level preparedness meeting to this effect was held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi here at Secretariat Wednesday.
Considering the IMD predictions for current year and the experience of last years, the Labour Welfare department has been asked to issue proper guidelines restricting outside working hours.
Further call would be taken in the matter depending on climate conditions after June 15. The schools would function from 6 am to 10.30 am so that students would reach their homes by 11 am.
Similarly, the Anganwadi centres would also function from 6 am to 10 am and the AWC workers would finish their home visit works by 11 am. The department of school and mass education was asked to ensure availability of ORS packets and first aid in the schools.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi has placed State Level Heat Action Plan (HAP) for the year 2019 for discussion in the meeting.
“Institutional arrangement has been put in place for daily recording and prediction of heat wave situation. This year block and district wise temperature reading will be done. District level preparedness meetings have already been held in all districts and district level emergency rooms have been operationlised,” he said.
The Chief Secretary asked Health and Family Welfare department to operationalise a special ward in government hospitals for treatment of sun-stroke and heat related diseases. It was decided to keep all required instruments, ice packs, medicines, fans and air cooling systems etc in the sun-stroke management rooms of the hospitals.
Further, Padhi directed Energy department to ensure uninterrupted power supply to drinking water projects and sun stroke management rooms in the hospitals.
The respective departments were also asked to keep the generator sets ready at these points during the summer.
Commerce and Transport department will issue necessary guidelines to the RTOs regarding regulation of public transport timings depending on heat wave warning situations. The bus owner associations will be requested to keep safe drinking water, ORS and first aid in the public transport buses.
Padhi further directed the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water department to keep all tube-wells and pipe water supply projects in running condition.
