Chief minister Nitish Kumar directed disaster management officials on Saturday to prepare a "heat action plan" and send advisory to all the districts as the sceptre of a harsh summer looms over Bihar.

"The chief minister has given directions to make a SOP (standard operating procedure) to provide drinking water to people," a senior official in the disaster management department said. "Supply routes will be fixed and water-tankers and other mediums would be used for it."

Nitish has also asked officials to issue an advisory against going out from 11.30am-4pm, and others, to escape heat and heat-wave conditions.