Sambalpur, April 27: The district administration has made arrangements to deal with the heatwave condition that has gripped the state.

With temperatures hovering around the 43°C mark, authorities have taken steps to ensure residents, who would venture out in the heat, do not face difficulty.

District emergency officer Sanjeev Pujari said they had asked bus owners to make arrangements for drinking water on board. Moreover, the transport department has been asked to ensure that the buses do not allow more passengers than its sitting capacity.

The administration has also issued instructions to restrict labourers from working between 11.30am and 3.30pm and ensure drinking water is provided at all sites.

"We have opened temporary kiosks at the urban and rural areas to provide drinking water to commuters and asked the Sambalpur Municipal Corporation to repair all defunct Amrut dharas. The pubic health engineering department has started supplying water to the areas that have been suffering from shortage through tankers," said Pujari.

"The department has opened two air-conditioned cabins with four beds to provide special care to heatstroke patients at district headquarters hospital. Besides, ice packs, cold water and ORS packets have been kept in the hospital for them," Pujari said.

In the past three years, at least 16 people have died of heatstroke in the district.

In 1998, Sambalpur had witnessed the worst heatwave conditions, which claimed 127 lives.

On April 20, one person reportedly died of heatstroke at Bhalumunda. The deceased was identified as Suleman Aind, 56.

"A joint inquiry will be conducted to probe into the matter," Pujari said.

"The mercury is rising with each passing day. The district administration has made arrangements to deal with the heatwave conditions. However, they should also think about creating awareness among the people regarding precautions to be taken. Many people fall victim to the heatwave because of lack of awareness," said local resident Praveen Behera.