On Tuesday, April 11, Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed that schools, both government and private up to Class X and Anganwadi centres will remain closed from today, April 12 till April 16 in view of the intense heat wave condition in the state. On arrival from Japan visit on April 11, the chief minister immediately took a review meeting with senior officers on the current heatwave conditions and various health-related facilities because of the increasing number of COVID cases, as stated in a report by The New Indian Express.
In this regard, the chief minister directed the administration particularly the Panchayati Raj and drinking water, housing and urban development and energy departments to be fully prepared to meet the situation as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave warning throughout the state. Further, he asked the concerned authorities to ensure a smooth supply of drinking water both in urban and rural areas with a special focus on water scarcity pockets. Besides, he also directed the energy department to ensure a continuous power supply to meet demands during the period.
Additionally, he also advised the administration to keep in touch with various professional meteorological agencies to collect information about monsoons and prepare advanced planning accordingly. While reviewing the various activities of the health and family welfare department, the chief minister expressed satisfaction with the functioning of the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana scheme which provides free healthcare facilities to nearly 3.5 crore people of Odisha. In view of the significance of the scheme, he asked the department to ensure prompt medical care for all the beneficiaries.
