Bhubaneswar: With a cold wave sweeping interior parts of Odisha and the mercury dipping to below 10°C at eight places, the state government Saturday asked district collectors to take steps to provide night accommodation to the homeless.
The civic body authorities have also been asked to provide shelter to the homeless persons and tourists in night shelter homes.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi directed the district collectors to take necessary steps to provide night accommodation to the homeless persons inside schools and public buildings.
He also asked the health department and the fisheries and animal resources development department to take care of the elderly and the livestock.
A report from the meteorological center here said that Phulbani in Kandhamal district recorded 7°C followed by Daringbadi at 8°C and Keonjhar 9.8°C at Keonjhar.
Other places which recorded temperature below 10°C are Sambalpur (9.7°C), Sundergarh (9°C), Jharsuguda (9.5°C), Baripada (9.6°C) and Angul (9.6°C).
The temperature remained at 10 degree celsius at Balasore (10.2°C), Baripada (10.6°C), Hirakud (10.6°C), Bhawanipatna (10.5°C) and Balangir (10.6°C).
The state capital of Bhubaneswar recorded 13.9°C while the twin city of Cuttack experienced a low of
12.2°C.
The Met office also warned that the average night temperature across Odisha will come down by 2-3°C and by about 4°C at one or two places in the next four days till December 25.
PNN