Orissa prepares to face heat wave condition - Minister

Bhubaneswar, Mar 31 (UNI) Apprehending heat wave condition in the coming days, the Orissa government has initiated a string of measures to contain the sunstroke deaths, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Manmohan Samal told the State Assembly today.

Mr Samal said review meeting on heat wave condition had been completed in 27 out of 30 districts in the state and an awareness drive had been launched to make the people aware of the possible disaster.

He said the state government had time and again urged the Centre to treat the sunstroke deaths as natural calamities but there had been no response from the Centre so far.

The government, the Minister said, had also sought assistance from the Centre to enhance the ex-gratia from Rs 10,000 to Rs 50,000 to the sun stroke victim's family.

Mr Samal said the Met department had been requested to forecast warning of possible heatwave condition and the steep rise in day temperature at least before 48 hours so that adequate precaution would be taken to prevent the sun stroke deaths.

He, however, said till February no sun stroke casualty had been reported in the state.

MORE UNI