File picture of a temporary water kiosk that was left unattended in Cuttack last year

Cuttack, March 28: The municipal corporation will stress on efficient management of temporary water kiosks this summer.

Keeping in view the heatwave, the Cuttack Municipal Corporation has decided to set up nearly 108 water kiosks in various wards. Official sources said all the kiosks would be inaugurated on the occasion of Utkal Divas on April 1.

“Keeping in view complaints that a bulk of the water kiosks run dry after inauguration, we will focus on better management of it in public-private partnership mode, so that people don’t face problem of drinking water in the city,” said civic body commissioner Gyana Ranjan Das.

An official said that according to the contingency plan prepared to tackle the heatwave, two water kiosks each would be set up, while the number of kiosks would be increased. The kiosks will be established with assistance of private banks and other NGOs to provide better service.

The civic body usually spends nearly Rs 10 lakh to set up temporary water kiosks to provide drinking water during the summer. However, due to lack of proper planning and co-ordination, many kiosks run dry within days after their inauguration.

“It is unfortunate that the corporation is yet to set up water kiosks, despite considerable rise in the temperature in the past couple of days. We hope that the new corporation will initiate timely measures regarding this,” said Choudhry Bazar resident Akshay Das.

Das said the civic body should also initiate measures to keep ice, first-aid kit and ORS sachets to provide immediate treatment to sunstroke victims.

Besides the temporary kiosks, many water cooler machines at various parts of the city are also lying defunct. The machines were installed through the MP and MLA Local Area Development funds to provide cold drinking water to the people. Sources said that of 49 cooling water units installed at various locations, only seven remain functional.

Though the corporation pays for the electric consumption and the public health department looks after its maintenance, many cooling water units are not functioning due to repeated thefts of compressor and other electrical equipment.

“We have called an emergency meeting to resolve such issues, and we hope that the defunct cold drinking water kiosks would be made operational at the earliest,” Das said.

An official said special focus would also be given on protecting the animals inside the deer park at Madhusudan Nagar. Temporary rest sheds will be constructed while water sprinklers will be installed at the park.