Nabarangpur: A district-level disaster management meeting was held today at the Mission Shakti Conference Hall under the chairmanship of Nabarangpur District Collector, Dr. Shubhankar Mahapatra. The meeting focused on tackling issues related to the upcoming summer heatwave, drinking water supply, and heatstroke prevention.
During the meeting, it was emphasized that all defunct tube wells should be repaired on a war footing. The District Collector instructed the Chief District Medical Officer and District Social Welfare Officer to ensure the availability of sufficient ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) packets in all Anganwadi centers and schools. Additionally, he advised implementing a mandatory five-minute break in schools to allow students to drink water.
The District Labor Department was directed to arrange separate drinking water facilities at workplaces for laborers. In accordance with state government guidelines, laborers should not be engaged in outdoor work between 11:00 AM and 3:30 PM due to the high risk of heatstroke. Instead, arrangements for shaded rest areas should be made.
The meeting also discussed adhering to the government’s guidelines for scheduled class hours in schools and colleges during extreme heat. To ensure public safety, the Transport Department was instructed to maintain an adequate supply of purified drinking water and ORS packets in all passenger vehicles.
To address water scarcity, the District Collector ordered immediate repairs of non-functional tube wells and the deployment of mobile water tankers where necessary. He also directed the establishment of control rooms at every block level and the District Headquarters Hospital for heatstroke management. Additionally, he instructed the Executive Engineer to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to all hospitals and Community Health Centers.
For public relief, water kiosks (“Jalachhatras”) should be set up in densely populated areas. The District Development and Executive Officer of the District Council, Viranchi Narayan Darwan, suggested conducting block-level preparatory meetings with community development officers.
Several senior officials attended the meeting, including District Public Health Officer Nav Kishore Behera, Deputy Collector Prakash Chandra Mishra, Emergency Officer Gitanjali Behera, District Panchayat Officer Padmanabha Tripathy, Chief Engineers, District Social Welfare Officer, and other senior district-level officers. Also present were District Project Officer Himanshu Shekhar Patnaik, Tripathi Balaji Sahu, District Information and Public Relations Officer Manoj Kumar Behera, and Regional Transport Officer.
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