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The Odisha Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) has urged all district collectors to prepare a contingency plan in view of likely heatwave conditions in the state from March to May when Odisha will be witnessing simultaneous polls for the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections.
The Odisha SRC said that as the Election Commission has declared the schedule for the General Elections, the National Disaster Management Authority Joint Secretary has communicated to have effective heat wave management in the State. The SRC said that during the election season, there might be extreme heatwave conditions that may pose a challenge to health and the conduct of elections. "The IMD has issued a seasonal outlook on temperature and rainfall for the hot weather season from March to May 2024. The maximum temperature is most likely to prevail over most of the parts of the state. Similarly, IMD has been issuing daily bulletins during the Summer Season. You are requested to follow these bulletins daily for appropriate actions," the SRC said in the letter to the district collectors. Requesting the Collectors to take mitigation, preparedness and response measures in the district, the SRC said, "Heatwave mitigation measures involve multi-sectoral and multi-dimensional administrative approaches such as provisioning of drinking water, temporary shelter, rescheduling of working hours, rescheduling of the timing of schools or public educational institutions and providing better medical emergency services and public health, etc. to reduce the negative impact of extreme heatwave conditions." The SRC has also asked the Collectors to take proactive measures with the help of concerned line Departments since several political rallies are expected to be held in the run up to the elections. "Your personal attention is highly required for effective heat wave management in your district. Any untoward situation shall be brought before the undersigned for immediate intervention," the letter added. (ANI)
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