With Odisha set to begin the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls from May 30, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Monday issued a detailed advisory to safeguard polling personnel from the ongoing heatwave and humid weather conditions across the state.

In a communication sent to all district collectors-cum-district election officers (DEOs), the CEO directed officials engaged in field-level electoral work to follow precautionary measures to minimise heat-related risks during the revision exercise.

The advisory instructed authorities to avoid outdoor activities such as house-to-house verification and field visits during peak daytime heat between 12 noon and 3 pm, as far as possible. Instead, DEOs were advised to schedule field operations between 6 am and 11 am and again from 4 pm to 7 pm.

The CEO’s office further stated that district election officers and electoral registration officers (EROs) may alter duty hours depending on local weather conditions and the severity of the heatwave.

Field staff have been asked to carry essential safety kits, including drinking water, ORS packets, caps and mobile phones for emergency communication. Supervisory officers were also instructed to remain alert for symptoms of heat-related illnesses such as dehydration, fatigue and dizziness and arrange immediate medical support whenever necessary.

The advisory additionally directed all facilitation and enrolment centres to ensure shaded waiting spaces, proper ventilation and adequate seating arrangements for visitors.

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Officials said the Special Intensive Revision process in Odisha will continue till September 6, when the final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published. July 1 has been fixed as the qualifying date for the exercise.

As per the election schedule, training and preparatory work will continue from May 20 to May 29, while booth-level officers will carry out door-to-door distribution and collection of forms between May 30 and June 28. Forms for the revision exercise will be available in both online and offline modes.