Government braces up for gruelling summer

BHUBANESWAR: Four days after the mercury crossed 40 degree Celsius here, the State Government on Thursday put all the 30 district collectors on alert to cope with any possible heatwave-like situation. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik issued direction to the district authorities and all the departments to ensure that people did not suffer in the gruelling summer. “Instructions have been issued to the collectors to take all possible steps for mitigating the effects of heatwave,” Revenue and Disaster Management Minister SN Patro said after attending a high-level meeting chaired by the Chief Minister. Health, Rural Development, Energy and other departments had been asked to take adequate measures to protect people from the heatwave conditions, he said adding, school timings across the State would be during morning hours from April 1. The School and Mass Education Department has been asked to reschedule the school and examination timings. The Energy Department had been told to ensure that the people get uninterrupted power during summer. The Rural Development and Urban Development departments have been asked to ensure uninterrupted supply of drinking water to rural and urban areas respectively. The drinking water needs of the water-scarcity pockets should be met through water tankers and measures should be taken to repair the defunct tube-wells and pipe water systems, the Chief Minister said.  The Labour Department has been asked to restrict the working hours of labourers from 11 am to 3 pm. The Transport Department has been asked to regulate plying of buses during the peak hours and ensure that buses and other public transport carriers carry adequate drinking water, oral rehydration solution (ORS) and other life saving drugs.EX GRATIA INCREASED: The Health Department was asked to make special arrangements for treatment of patients affected by heat stroke. The Revenue and Disaster Management Department has reportedly proposed to enhance the amount of ex gratia for the families of any heatwave victim from ` 10,000 to ` 2 lakh.