Severe heat in western Orissa

The entire western belt of Orissa is presently under the spell of a severe heat wave with scarcity of drinking water worsening the situation at many places.

Mercury has been hovering above the 45 degree c mark and Bhawanipatna, the headquarter town of Kalahandi district, registered 47 degreesC on Monday, official sources said.

Titilagarh in Balangir district, known to be the hottest place in the state, recorded 46.6 degrees c followed by Sundargarh (45.6), Sambalpur (45.1) and Jharsuguda (44.4).

The temperature rose in the aluminium town of Angul to 44.7 degrees c, while the mercury soared over 42 degrees c in the undivided Koraput district.

According to revenue department sources, three sun stroke deaths had occurred in the state so far this summer, while unofficial reports put the toll at a higher figure.

In the western region, hot winds kept the people indoors during the day time affecting normal life. Shops and business establishments remained closed in the afternoon.

The problem of drinking water availability at Sambalpur city continued to persist despite Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurating a major drinking water scheme there recently. The project could not be commissioned as pipelines to different localities were yet to be laid.