Bhubaneswar: Like every year, this year too, Odisha is fully prepared to tackle sunstroke, informed Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena today.
Addressing a review meeting on the preparedness for the ensuing heatwave and probability of sunstroke during the summer of this year, Jena said that adequate preparations have been made at both State and district to tackle the situation.
He informed that on February 24 SRC’s office had issued letters asking the districts and departments to prepare an action plan before March 10 and accordingly, the district-level sunstroke management programme has been finalized and necessary action has been taken.
Similarly, also all departments of the government are prepared, he added.
The SRC informed that a preparedness meeting of Secretaries of various departments chaired by the Chief Secretary was held today wherein sunstroke-related problems, its different aspects, and solutions were discussed.
He said concerned departments were directed to keep all sources of drinking water like tubewells, piped water supply, and other sources of drinking water fully functional in view of the water crisis faced from March to June when temperature soars in Odisha.
Similarly in the event of power disruption, officials have been asked to keep it to the minimum by arranging alternate sources like generators, etc., he added.
The SRC said that officials have been advised to construct vats near tubewells to store water for animals and birds and create water holes in forests by constructing check dams etc for wild animals.
SRC and OSDMA will issue an advertisement in newspapers asking citizens to store water on the roofs or backyards of their houses for stray animals and birds, Jena said.