Home / Disasters and Accidents / Odisha Teachers Die Amid Census Duty Heatwave
Odisha Teachers Die Amid Census Duty Heatwave
28 Apr
Summary
- Two schoolteachers died from suspected sunstroke while on census duty.
- The state's Special Relief Commissioner's office has not confirmed sunstroke deaths.
- Odisha government issued safety guidelines for census enumerators due to heat.
Two schoolteachers in Odisha have died due to suspected sunstroke while performing census enumeration duties amidst an ongoing heatwave. The incidents occurred in the Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh districts over the past two days. Rajkumar Hembram, a teacher from Mayurbhanj, died on Sunday, and Anurag Ekka, an assistant teacher from Sundargarh, passed away on Saturday.
Despite these tragic events, the Special Relief Commissioner's office in Odisha has reported no official sunstroke deaths. Officials noted that Rajkumar Hembram had pre-existing high blood pressure and had last performed enumerations on April 22. Anurag Ekka was removed from census duty after falling ill.
These incidents highlight the challenges faced by nearly one lakh enumerators, primarily school teachers, engaged in the house listing survey. The Odisha government had issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) advising against field work between 11 am and 3 pm and recommending precautions against heat-related illnesses.
Heatwave conditions are currently affecting several districts in Odisha, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius in western parts of the state.
