FACE THE HEAT

Cuttack, March 23: The sudden rise in temperature has forced the district administration to make necessary arrangements to tackle heat wave conditions.

The district administration has decided to streamline measures for immediate treatment of sunstroke cases at various blocks and district headquarters hospitals in the district.

Besides, the authorities of SCB Medical College and Hospital have been asked to set up a separate ward for treatment of sunstroke patients and ensure that all the air-conditioners and cooling systems are repaired at the earliest.

The move comes in the wake of complaints regarding non-functioning of cooling systems at SCB Medical College and Hospital last year.

“We have asked all the nodal officers of various departments to take appropriate measures to manage heat wave and water scarcity situation,” said additional district magistrate Laxmidhar Mohanty.

The state government has already ordered for rescheduling of timing of various educational institutions and working hours for labourers keeping in view the rise in the temperature in the last one week.

Apart from this, the regional transport officers have also been asked to ensure that drinking water provision is made in all buses and bus stands, while the timing of public transport services will also be rescheduled in case of severe heat wave conditions.

Officials of the public health department have said that assessment of the conditions of the tube wells under within the Cuttack Municipal Corporation area and in the rural parts of the district was being conducted. The defunct tube wells will be repaired by the end of March.

There are about 18,000 tube wells in various parts of the district, while there are more than 350 tube wells within the municipal corporation area.

“We have already taken measures for maintenance of various tube wells, pump houses and other electrical equipment for ensuring uninterrupted drinking water supply during the summer,” said executive engineer of public health department A.K. Naik.

Besides, generator sets have also been deployed for pump houses at various hospitals, including SCB, Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Center and Sishu Bhavan, to deal with problems related to low voltage.

Municipal commissioner Gyana Ranjan Das said that more than 108 water kiosks would shortly be set up in all the 59 wards of the city.