Odisha: BMC bars working hours of labourers from 11 am to 3 pm

Bhubaneswar,: In a meeting held for the upcoming summer preparedness, the BMC decided to halt all construction works from 11.00 am to 3.00 pm ahead of intense heat. The meeting was held at the Ekamra hall on Monday. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Rajesh Prabhakar Patil chaired the preparatory meeting and rescheduled the working hours of the labourers
from 11 am to 3 pm. The district labour officers will take the necessary steps so that no violation is done. All the BMC engineers and the other engineers will also stop the construction work in the duration.
Besides, the working hours of labourers other steps for summer preparedness were also discussed in the meeting: Drinking water facilities (Jala Chatra) to be opened at several places in the city. Drinking water provisions for the stray dogs, cows, birds to be done. Rooms for sunstroke patients to be opened in all hospitals with beds, medicines and ORS. The public health officers have been instructed to carry out the steps at the earliest. Every Anganwadi centre (AWC) to have drinking water facility. A special room in the 2nd storey of BMC Hospital, Bhubaneswar will be opened for sunstroke patients. The general public should be awared well in advance to prepare for the upcoming intense heat. The BMC commissioner urged the mainstream media, social media and other mass media entities to spread the awareness through information, posters, banners etc. A helpline number 1929 have been launched for the sunstroke victims. Block Education Officers (BEOs) have been directed to change the school timings and urge the students to carry water bottles and umbrellas, wear shoes to school.