By IANS
Bhubaneswar : Orissa Wednesday rescheduled the working hours of labourers and daily wage earners following the possibility of a heat wave due to the rise in temperature in some places over the past few days.
Many parts of the state have been witnessing over 38 degrees Celsius temperature the past few days. Sundergarh town in western Orissa has already recorded close to 40 degrees Celsius temperature Monday and Tuesday, an official of the state labour department told IANS.
Looking at the trend, we have issued instructions to all private and government concerns not to engage daily wage earners and labourers for work between 11.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. with immediate effect. The order will be in force from March to June, he said.
The labour department has also asked all the administrative and health officials of the state’s 30 districts to take measures to provide drinking waters, adequate shelters and health care, he said.
Heat wave in the state in May 1998 killed over 2,000 people. Titilagarh recorded the state’s highest temperature of 50.1 degrees Celsius in June 2003.