Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, June 7: Sunstroke has claimed as many as 729 lives in the past decade, while the number of fatalities this year has been 37, according to the Special Relief Commissioner’s (SRC) office here.
A whopping 236 persons succumbed to sunstroke in 2005, according to data from the SRC’s office here, making it the highest toll for a year in the past one decade. The number drastically came down the next year to 21 but rose again to 47 in 2007. In 2008, 71 persons died of sunstroke, while 89 succumbed in 2009 and 104 in 2010. According to SRC, 22 persons died in 2011, 83 in 2012, 16 in 2013 and 40 in 2014.
People in the state continue to be exposed to the scorching sun despite the several awareness campaigns organised by various voluntary organisations.
“People are aware of the health consequences of the heatwave. They need to take precautionary measures,” said director public health Kailash Dash.
The first death because of sunstroke in Orissa took place in 1988. “It acted as a warning for people of other states also to take precautions during heatwaves,” said Dash.
Heatwave conditions prevailed this year too in the state with SRC receiving reports of 155 deaths because of sunstroke of which it has confirmed 37 deaths till Sunday. The highest number of seven confirmed deaths was from Ganjam district, followed by six deaths from Kendrapara and four deaths from Bolangir.