Bhubaneswar: Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida on Monday flagged off a state-wide “Heatwave Awareness Van” campaign” at Geetagovinda Sadan in Bhubaneswar to tackle the extreme summer heatwave conditions in Odisha.
This campaign is a UNICEF initiative, operated by Youth4Water Plus, in collaboration with Jeevan Rekha Parishad, KT Global School, Radio Bulbul, and other partner organizations. It will continue until June 6.
The mobile van will serve as a traveling educational center, covering vulnerable locations across Bhubaneswar, Puri, and Cuttack — including slums, construction sites, bus stands, railway stations, hawker zones, temples, and educational institutions.
The campaign aims to reach over one lakh people across the three districts through engaging and interactive methods such as street plays (nukkad nataks), audio jingles, posters, mascots, and quizzes. Water kiosks will also be installed at various locations to ensure access to drinking water.
“We are committed to ensuring this campaign reaches everyone so that no one is left out,” said a representative. The focus is on involving the youth meaningfully in taking this mission forward. UNICEF Odisha’s Programme Officer, Sugata Roy, emphasized that this initiative calls on everyone to contribute to building a “Safer Odisha.”
A trained team of volunteers from Youth4Water Plus has undergone specialized training on health risks related to heatwaves and community engagement strategies. They will be actively involved in executing the campaign.
At the inaugural event, dignitaries also unveiled a heatwave awareness poster and released an audio jingle delivering key safety messages.
Among others Shipra Saxena, WASH Specialist, UNICEF; Blorin Mahanty, General Secretary, BGVS; Sujit Mahapatra, Founder-Secretary, Bakul Foundation; and Dharmananda Sundaray, Project Coordinator, Youth4Water Plus were present at the event.
