Bhubaneswar, March 9: Summer is barely in but a rising mercury has set the state on the boil.

Several parts of the state today reeled from an intense and gruelling heat wave. With the possibility of heat wave conditions prevailing in the state, a worried state government today issued instructions to various departments to avoid sun-stroke cases. However, not a single case of sunstroke death has been reported so far. While the temperature touched 40°C in Malkangiri yesterday, the mercury in other parts of the state hovered between 35 degree and 38 degree Celsius.

Not ready to take any risk, the government issued fresh guidelines to adopt precautionary measures. The instructions issued today barred labourers from working between 11am and 3pm. “Bus service will be regulated from April 1 and buses will not ply during peak heat hours. All buses will be asked to carry water and other emergency stuff with them,” officials said. All hospitals would be asked to keep ice and other medicines to deal with heat wave cases. Speaking about precautionary measures, a doctor said: “Heat exhaustion, an initial stage of heat stroke, manifests itself through weakness, fatigue and a drop in blood pressure. One should avoid outdoor activities as much as possible.”

Director of local meteorological centre Sarat Sahu said: “There is no need to panic. The sea breeze has already started blowing and the entire coastal belt will benefit from it. However, the interior parts will continue to reel from the heat. The kalabaiskahi (Nor’wester) accompanied by rain, will take place during this month and bring some respite.”

Citing reason for the unnatural temperature, environmentalist Bibhudendra Pratap Das said massive cutting of trees, mindless mining activities along with massive industrialisation have led to the rise in temperature. “Burning of coal is another major reason for temperature to shoot up in Angul-Talcher and Jharsuguda belt. The government should seriously think about it,” Das said.

The summer is also making the life of animals miserable. Nandankanan is planning to make special arrangements to save its captive menagerie from the scorching heat. Elephants will be provided with the watermelons while water sprayers will also be used on roofs of the enclosures.