Perhaps Saturday and Sunday were the hottest days of the season in Steel City. Source said while the maximum temperature is around 44 degrees Celsius, the minimum is about 25 degrees Celsius.
Since 9 O’clock in the morning, the heat is felt in city as the mercury moves upward very fast. There is a curfew like situation in roads after 9.30 am here.
So keeping in view of the heat wave, a couple of days ago in a meeting at ADM office it was decided to open more number of ‘jal chhatras’ (water sheds) and provide sufficient drinking water to those units. Similarly, the State Government has imposed restrictions on movement of public transport between 11 am to 3 pm. The bus owners and associations have been asked to ensure portable safe drinking water and first aid boxes in each vehicle. They are also asked to strictly avoid overcrowding in the buses. The State labour department has been advised to restrict the working time from 11 am to 3 pm. But without caring the orders, the buses are plying in different routes from Rourkela during restricted time with overcrowding and without keeping safe drinking water and proper first aid boxes.
Neither the RTO staff nor the owners’ associations are showing any interest to carry out the orders here. Similarly, the labourers are forced to work in construction works of roads and building during restricted hours. Even the contractors are not ensuring any drinking water or first aid boxes in work place. It is alleged that the labourers are forced to work during restricted hours just 100 to 200 meters away from district labour office, ADM office and the Rourkela Municipality. No action has been initiated against the concerned contractors.
ADM, Rourkela RN Mishra accepting the allegation said the steps against the order evading contractors would be initiated within 2-3 days.Regarding ‘jal chhatras,’ Rourkela Municipality EO DP Mohapatra said within the municipality area, six are set up by the municipality and eight more by different organisations and every day the municipality is supplying water to those units. Additional nine units are to be set up soon, added Mohapatra.
Similarly, in many areas due to dipping of ground water level, the people who are dependable on wells and tube wells have been facing problems for drinking water. PHED SDO Anup Patel said identifying the Timber Colony, Gopabandhupali, Railway Colony, Deogaon as water scarcity areas, the residents are being supplied with 1.5 lakh litres water daily through five water tankers out of which four are taken on hire. But this is not sufficient, alleged the residents.