BHUBANESWAR: Already battling a pandemic, the rising heat in the State has brought additional responsibility for the Government officers. After several districts recorded a rise in day temperature, Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) has directed all district Collectors to immediately hold regular virtual review meetings to put in place the standard operating procedures for tackling heatwave condition.
In a letter to the Collectors, OSDMA Managing Director Pradeep Kumar Jena said “Aware of your preoccupation in this grave situation and closure of many line departments, still I request you to hold immediately regular virtual review meetings at district, sub-divisional and block levels to put in place the SOPs for the heat action plan, 2020, for all line departments, otherwise this natural hazard may unnecessarily compound our challenge in containing Covid-19.”
OSDMA has already sent the Collectors an updated heat action plan, 2020, which clearly delineates the roles and responsibilities of the department concerned. On Sunday, Angul recorded 39.5 degree Celsius, followed by Nayagarh at 39 and Baripada 38.8. Bhubaneswar and Cuttack recorded 38.5 degree Celsius and 37.6 respectively. “The Capital recorded 2.4 degree Celsius above normal temperature, while Cuttack recorded 1.7 degree above normal on Sunday,” said Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre Scientist, Umasankar Das.
Rain forecast
The Regional Met office has forecast light to moderate rainfall in some parts of the State till Tuesday. Light to moderate rainfall or thundershower will likely occur at one or two places over coastal Odisha districts and Kandhamal, Nabarangpur, Koraput, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Rayagada, Balangir, Kalahandi and Nuapada districts on Monday. Thunderstorm with lightning is expected to occur at one or two places over coastal Odisha districts, Boudh, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Dhenkanal, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar districts during the period. “Rainfall will occur in some parts of the State till Tuesday under the influence of a trough from north Kerala to south Chhattisgarh, and anti-cyclonic circulation over Bay of Bengal,” said Das.