Bhubaneswar, April 26: Two school teachers involved in the ongoing Census work in Odisha tragically passed away within two days, reportedly due to sunstroke in separate incidents. These incidents occurred in the districts of Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh, where temperatures have soared beyond 38°C.
This marks the third such fatality in the state related to extreme heat exposure during Census duties.
A report from Betanati in Mayurbhanj district stated that Rajkapur Hembram, a teacher at Baidyanath High School in the Betnoti block, succumbed to heatstroke on Sunday evening while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Baripada. Hembram had reportedly collapsed after returning from a door-to-door Census survey. His nephew, Laxmikant Hembram, confirmed that he was rushed to the hospital after being found unconscious.
Mamata Das, the headmistress of the school, shared, "Rajkapur Hembram complained of discomfort upon returning from his Census duties. Despite being admitted to the hospital, he passed away. He was assigned to enumerate three villages for the Census."
The teacher's family claimed that Hembram had previously expressed concerns to his colleagues about the pressure to continue working despite feeling unwell.
In a similar incident in Sundargarh, Anurag Ekka, a teacher at Jarada Government High School in the Gurundia block, also fell ill while on Census duty on Saturday and tragically passed away that same day. He was initially admitted to the Gurundia Community Health Centre before being transferred to the district headquarters hospital when his condition deteriorated.
Officials from the Special Relief Commissioner's office stated that the district collectors are investigating the deaths, and the exact causes will be confirmed after receiving reports from local authorities.
Earlier, on April 21, an enumerator involved in Census work in Sonepur district reportedly died of a heart attack after returning from his duties.
The Odisha government has already issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to ensure the safety and well-being of Census workers, particularly during the ongoing hot and humid weather conditions.
