In the past 72 hours, Odisha has experienced severe heatwave conditions, resulting in 67 more suspected heatstroke deaths, raising the total to 96. The government has confirmed 15 of these deaths, with autopsy reports for the remaining 81 cases still pending at the district level.Deaths due to heatstroke increasedAmong the deceased are a booth level officer from Binjharpur block in Jajpur district, who died while on election duty, and an elderly voter from Nilagiri block in Balasore district, who passed away on Saturday. Balangir district reported the highest number of deaths, with 20 fatalities in the past 48 hours, followed by Sambalpur with 15. The remaining deaths are scattered across western Odisha.Heatwave conditions to persistIn response to the increasing number of deaths, Chief Secretary P K Jena and Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Satyabrata Sahu convened a meeting with district collectors on Saturday. The collectors were instructed to ensure the implementation of heatwave advisories and precautionary measures issued by the SRC. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while heatwave conditions are expected to persist, a gradual decrease in daytime temperatures is anticipated over the next two days. A gradual fall in maximum temperature by two to three degrees Celsius during the next three days is likely, with no significant change thereafter across many parts of Odisha, stated Manorama Mohanty, director of IMDs Bhubaneswar centre.Highest in OdishaOn Saturday, Titilagarh recorded the highest temperature at 46 degrees Celsius, followed by Balangir at 45.5°C, Bhawanipatna at 44.6°C, and Nuapada at 44°C. However, rain and thundershowers in isolated places across several districts on Saturday evening provided some relief from the intense heat. In related news, 26 suspected heatstroke deaths were reported in four Odisha districts over two days, and more than 30 deaths due to severe heatwave conditions were reported in a single day. Additionally, Pakistans Sindh province experienced extreme temperatures, with Mohenjo Daro recording 52.2 degrees Celsius, nearing the countrys record high.
