Fear of killer heat wave in Orissa

By Prafulla Das

BHUBANESWAR, MAY 11. Fear of a killer heat wave in the coming days stalks most parts of Orissa as several areas, mostly in the interior districts, have been experiencing severe heat wave conditions during the past couple of days. The prevailing heat wave condition has also added to the drinking water scarcity in many areas.

Although meteorologists are not sure whether the situation would worsen in the coming days, they are not ruling out the possibility of many areas recording very high temperatures. Environmentalists, however, strongly feel that the State would witness severe heat wave conditions this season.

Analysis of the data available with the Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre indicate that the month of May witnessed more heatwave during the past 10 years followed by March, April and June.

The State Government, which has directed hospital authorities and different government departments to take various measures to help people cope with the heatwave conditions, has so far confirmed five sunstroke deaths - one each in Cuttack, Khurda, Nayagarh and two in Sambalpur.

Unofficial reports, however, put the figure at 29. While five deaths have been confirmed, the District Collectors concerned have been asked to inquire into the remaining 24 incidents, an official in the Revenue Department Control Room here said today.

Orissa, which is experiencing high temperatures frequently in the recent years, had experienced moderate to severe heat wave conditions during the last week of May and first week of June, 1999. More than 2,000 people had died on account of the long spell of heatwave.

In 1998, the highest temperature in Bhubaneswar was 45.9 degrees Celsius, and Titilagarh town in western Orissa had recorded 49.8 degrees C, the highest in the State that season.

The temperatures recorded during the past few days at different centres has made people apprehensive. The Capital city of Bhubaneswar recorded 44.6 degrees C on Friday, its highest this season.

The situation in interior districts is turning worse. While Bhawanipatna recorded 47.5 degrees C on Thursday - the highest in the State this season, Titilagarh recorded 46.7, Talcher 46.2, Boudh 46, Bolangir 46, Sambalpur 45.7, Jharsuguda 45.6, Sundargarh 45, Angul 45, Khurda 43, Phulbani 42.7 and Bhubaneswar 42.6 and Keonjhar 41.7. Titilagarh had experienced 47.2 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

According to Mr. D.C. Gupta, Director of Meteorology at Bhubaneswar, the temperature was appreciably above normal in the western region of the State as the north-westerly wind from northern India had aggravated the situation.

Although the temperature in coastal districts was not as high as the interior districts, the people were finding it difficult to cope with the heat as the humidity level was high in these districts, Mr. Gupta said.

Apart from making life miserable and forcing people stay indoors, the heat wave has made many cover long distances to fetch drinking water. The situation is worse in the drought-hit western Orissa districts. The village ponds, tube-wells and bore- wells are drying up fast causing hardship to millions of people.

The fear of a possible severe heatwave across the State was expressed by several speakers at a seminar on ``Sunstroke, Cause and Prevention'' here today. The speakers stressed that making the general public aware about precautionary measures required to cope with heat wave conditions was the only way to prevent deaths due to heatstroke.

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