Sambalpur: The administration has taken several measures to tackle heatwave in the district with the mercury touching 40°C at several places.

District collector Samarth Verma has directed various departments to be on the alert during summer. A district level control room has been opened in the collectorate.

The Sambalpur Municipal Corporation has decided to open six control rooms in its jurisdiction and the public health department will open 23 such centres in rural areas. The control rooms will be equipped with first aid and requisite medicines to deal with any emergency.

To ensure that kids did not suffer from heatwave conditions, all educational institutions have been told to end classes before 10.30am from Tuesday. The schools have been instructed to make arrangements for drinking water and keep provision for first aid.

The administration has also directed the labour department and contractors not to carry out construction between 11am and 3.30pm. They have been directed to keep sufficient drinking water at workplaces. The administration has threatened strong action in case contractors violate directives.

In a similar move, it has been ordered to suspend transport services between 11am and 3pm during summer. The electricity department has also been instructed to provide uninterrupted power supply so that water supply is not affected.

To maintain regular water supply in rural and urban areas, the public health department and the rural water supply authorities have been told to repair all the faulty tube wells. The municipal corporation here has decided to provide water tankers in the remote areas, said commissioner Bimalendu Rai.

The administration has decided to open about 750 drinking water distribution points across in district at an estimated expenditure of Rs 1.29 crore.

The points will start from the first week of April till June 15. The municipal corporation will open 109 drinking water distribution points in Sambalpur town, Burla, Hirakud and 12 gram panchayat localities. Each point will be managed by volunteers who will be paid Rs 200 daily.

The health and family welfare department has distributed leaflets providing guidelines with photographs about steps to take to avoid sunstroke.