SAMBALPUR: The town was piping hot at 46 degree Celsius on Friday about .5 degree less than Thursday’s temperature. “It feels like walking through a furnace,” said a local on way to work at 10 am.From dawn to late afternoon people prefer to remain indoors, except for the office-goers and students who are bound to venture out to face the sun’s wrath. The common sun-masks like wet towels, ‘dupatta’ and umbrella provide no respite from the searing heat. Five sunstroke deaths have been reported from the district while many in rural areas have gone unreported. While the administration has opened 79 watersheds those have gone the Amrut Dhara kiosks’ way with water seldom found in any of the watersheds. Adding to the poor man’s woes is the fact that the municipality is headless and there no one to shoulder the responsibility of ensuring constant water supply to the kiosks.The homemakers and businessmen are worried alike. While homemaker Preetinanda Baboo fears dehydration and ensures that the family members take fluids at regular intervals, tailor Duryodhan Pradhan said working under torrid heat is getting difficult with the staff preferring a break during peak hours. The situation is no better in rural pockets where industrialisation has taken a heavy toll on the green cover and traditional water bodies have dried up.Rourkela: Prevailing heatwave condition moderated on Friday across Sundargarh district with mercury recording a fall by at least a degree as the Steel City witnessed drizzle.The district headquarters town of Sundargarh recorded 44 degrees on Friday. Similarly, the temperature at Rourkela City stood at 42.2 degrees. In Rourkela, the weather changed drastically with gusty winds and cloudy sky arousing hopes of heavy rain but the locals had to be settled for a mild drizzle.
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