Odisha govt to set up heatwave relief centres

Bhubaneswar: In line with cyclone and flood shelters, the govt on Tuesday decided to construct heatwave relief centres across the state to provide relief to commuters.Revenue minister Suresh Pujari said heatwave centres will be set up on a priority basis at places that are known to report frequent heatwave-related cases and where temperature remains high throughout summer.

Currently, there are no heatwave centres in the state. In coastal regions and cyclone-prone areas, there are cyclone shelters only, officials said.“We are seriously working out a model to establish heatwave relief centres in line with cyclone shelters. The centres will be built by consulting scientists and experts, who can guide us on the project. The centres will have various heat-mitigating measures such as water, electrolytes, first aid, cooling structure and other requirements,” Pujari said on Tuesday.Regarding possible places that can have these centres on a priority basis, the minister said western Odisha towns and cities are known to record more heatwave-related incidents and heat strokes because of temperature soaring to 45-46 degree Celsius. “In Jaipur (Rajasthan), such heatwave relief centres are functioning. Western Odisha’s heat in summer is mainly dry while in coastal areas it is a mix of heat and humidity.

The centres will provide relief to people, who feel fatigued while moving and don’t get a place to rest,” Pujari added.In western Odisha, Jharsuguda, an industrial belt, and Titlagarh, a small town in Balangir district, are known to record very high temperatures during the daytime in summer. These two places are likely to have the heat relief centres sooner than other places, officials said.On Tuesday, Jharsuguda took the top spot as the hottest place in the state, recording 44.4°C, while neighbouring Sambalpur recorded a temperature of 43.4°C.