© PTI
Western Odisha town Titilagarh sizzled at highest 48 degree Celsius, country's highest temperature in 20 years in month of April, while Talcher was the second hottest at 46.8 degree Celsius.
Titlagarh, which recorded 47.5 degree Celsius on Friday, witnessed the mercury rising further on Saturday in the western Odisha town.
With 18 towns in the state recorded temperature above 40 degree Celsius, the suspected death toll due to sunstroke rises to 79.
As an unwavering heat wave sweeping, the government on Saturday announced ex-gratia compensation of 50 thousand rupees for each death caused by sun stroke.
The special relief commissioner's office on Saturday said to meet the drinking water scarcity need, more than one thousand tankers have been pressed into water supply service while 745 teams were engaged in repair of tube wells.
The regional Met department said the heat wave condition would prevail in several parts of the state till tomorrow and also warned interior and western parts will continue to face crippling heat conditions in next two days
Comment: Recent data indicates an increase in the frequency, intensity and duration of heat waves in India in recent years. Last year alone, heat wave killed at least 2,500 people - a 50 per cent increase compared to 2014.