Dikhyaa Mohanty 
Up to 41 people in Odisha are thought to have perished from heat-related illnesses, including 17 in Sundargarh, 8 in Sambalpur, 7 in Jharsuguda, 6 in Bolangir, and 3 in other regions of the state. Rourkela recorded 14 deaths out of the 17 probable heatstroke deaths in the Sundargarh district. Two additional people passed away on Friday while receiving treatment, bringing the total number of deaths in Rourkela to 14 the previous day. In addition, thirty other patients are receiving care at various hospitals throughout the district. According to authorities, of the 17 deaths in the Sundargarh district, 14 have occurred at the Rourkela Government Hospital (RGH), two at the Sundargarh District Headquarters Hospital, and one at the Bandhamunda Railway Hospital.
“It is yet to be established that they have died of heatstroke. Most of them were brought dead in the hospital. Some people had temperatures of 103°F-105°F. Deaths might be linked to heatstroke as the district has been reeling under intense heatwave conditions. Since we don’t know their history it will be difficult to confirm right now. The exact cause of the deaths will be known after post-mortem.” informed Dr Sudharani Pradhan, Superintendent In-Charge RGH.
Meanwhile, the Special Relief Commissioner Satyabrat Sahu talked to the Sundargarh District Collector about the measures being taken to contain such deaths. Panposh Sub-collector and Assistant District Magistrate visited RGH to take stock of the situation. They have been asked to submit a report following a probe. SRC has also instructed the Collectors of Northern and Southern Division to make strict enforcement of heatwave advisories and appealed to the general public to follow the heatwave precautions. Expressing concern over deaths of so many people, Public Health Director Nilakantha Mishra said, “Bodies of the persons who died due to suspected heatstroke will be sent for post-mortem. The exact reason behind deaths can be ascertained after post-mortem.”
It is important to remember that Jharsuguda became the hottest area in the State when it recorded the season’s peak temperature of 47 degrees Celsius. A frying cauldron was also flipped at 46.5, 46.3, and 46.2 degrees Celsius in Titilagarh, Bargarh, and Sambalpur, respectively.
