Preparatory meeting was held by the district administration to address the possible heatwave situation: Special focus on installing a 'Water Break Bell' in every school
Balasore, 25/2 (Krushna Kumar Mohanty): A preparatory meeting to review precautionary measures for tackling a potential heatwave was held yesterday at the District Auditorium conference hall in Balasore.
The meeting was conducted under the chairmanship of District Collector Surjyabanshi Mayur Vikas and was jointly organized by the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) and the Balasore District Disaster Management Authority.
The Collector directed all departmental officers to remain alert and ensure timely dissemination of information. He emphasized the goal of reducing sunstroke-related deaths to zero. Instructions were also issued to the District Forest Officer to take preventive measures against forest fires and to ensure the safety of wildlife during the heatwave.
The District Education Officer was instructed to introduce a 'Water Break Bell' system in all schools to ensure regular hydration for students in every one hour frequency during school hours. The Executive Engineer of the Lift Irrigation Department was directed to ensure timely water lifting and proper water management.
The Collector conducted a detailed review of preparedness measures across departments including drinking water, electricity, healthcare, fire services, education, transport, animal resources, and others. It was directed that complaints regarding rural drinking water supply must be addressed within 24 hours by restoring tube wells. In areas where tube wells cannot be installed, drinking water should be supplied through tankers.
Panchayats, NACs, municipalities, and all Block Development Officers were instructed to open water kiosks in crowded areas. The Chief District Medical Officer was asked to ensure air-conditioned rooms for heatstroke patients at PHCs, CHCs, sub-divisional hospitals, and the district headquarters hospital(DHH), along with adequate stock of ORS and essential medicines.
The District Labour Officer was directed to ensure that workers do not work in extreme heat between 11 AM and 3 PM. The Executive Engineer of TPNODL was advised to maintain uninterrupted power supply.
To manage possible Kalbaisakhi storms during the heatwave period, the Collector instructed the National Disaster Response Force and the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force(ODRAF) to remain on alert. Officials were also advised to use the 'Sachet App' for accurate information exchange regarding heatwave and storm alerts.
For public grievances related to heatwave conditions, the district emergency control room toll-free number 1077 and block-level emergency contact numbers will be widely displayed.
The meeting was attended by Additional District Magistrate (Revenue) Hemanta Kumar Singh, Additional District Magistrate (General) Sudhakar Nayak, the Sub-Collector of Nilgiri, Additional Project Director of Zilla Parishad Balasore, Executive Officers of municipalities, Block Development Officers, Tahasildars, NDRF and ODRAF personnel, voluntary organizations, Apada Mitra volunteers, Civil Defence members, Fire Service officers, and other departmental officials.
District Project Officer Abanikanta Bhuyan conducted the proceedings, while District Emergency Officer Saikrishna Jena delivered the vote of thanks.