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Orissa to seek central aid for heat wave

The Orissa government today decided to seek central assistance from the National Calamity Fund as the heat wave, now sweeping across the state, has claimed more than 1,100 lives so far.

However, official sources put the toll at 910 till today. Reports of more deaths from the rural areas were still pouring in as the district adminstration geared up to meet the challenge posed by the intense heat, with the mercury touching an all-time high in several places in the state.

According to the records available with the state revenue control room in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack district alone accounted for 199 deaths followed by Dhenkanal (155) and Sambalpur (105).

Unofficial reports said more than 250 people have died of sunstroke in Cuttack district while the toll in Sambalpur had gone up above 170.

According to state Revenue Minister Jagannath Patnaik, the government had decided to grant an ex gratia of Rs 10,000 each to the next kin of the sunstroke victims as per the provision of the Orissa relief code.

However, considering the gravity of the situation and the large number of casulaties reported from all over the state, the government, would request the Centre to provide assistance from the National Calamity Fund to tackle the tragic situation.

Western Orissa continued to experience the killer heat wave with the mercury hovering around 47 degree Celsius for the past several days. In coastal Orissa, the temperature, however, went down slightly during the past 48 hours.

Met sources in Bhubaneswar predicted that isolated rains and thunder showers were likely to occur in some parts of the state in the next 24 hours. This would help push the mercury down.

Over 2,000 people suffering from sunstroke are still being treated in various government and private hospitals in the state. An awareness campaign launched recently by the state government and voluntary agencies in the state has made the people conscious of the dangerous consequences of the heat wave sweeping across the state and urged them to take the necessary precautions.

Sources said more deaths were reported from Cuttack, Sambalpur, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kalahandi, Malkangir, and Mayurbhanj districts during the the past 24 hours ending today.

The state revenue control room has so far received official death reports from only 26 of the total 30 districts. The four districts where no death has been officially recorded so far are Koraput, Nawarangpur, Rayagada, and Nuapada.

Besides Cuttack, the other coastal districts where sunstroke deaths reported during the past few days were Kendrapada (20), Jajpur (47), Jagatsinghpur (31), Khurda (14), Nayagarh (36), Puri (15), Balasore (41), and Bhadrak (19).

According to official figures, 10 people have died of sunstroke in Kalahandi district while the tribal-dominated Malkangiri reported four deaths.

Compared to the western Orissa and coastal Orissa, the districts in south Orissa reported less casualties in the heat wave. Only four districts in south Orissa -- Ganjam, Gajapati, Phulbani, and Boud -- had reported loss of lives due to the heat wave.

UNI

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