Disastrous condition of forests: Can Odisha be sustainable growth model for the country?

By Sudhansu R Das 

People of Odisha face long grueling summer months starting from mid February and extending up to October end. The long summer adversely affects the productivity of people, causes deaths and diseases; it has a negative impact on agriculture, tourism and on the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life in the state gets disturbed due to grueling summer heat. 

A recent study conducted by the Tata Centre for Development (TCD) at Chicago and the Climate Impact Lab has predicted that due to climate change, annually 42,334 people may die by 2100 AD because of excessive heat waves. In the month of May 2024, the state has reported 30 deaths in  a single day due to severe heat waves. How to protect people’s lives and livelihood from the life threatening heat wave is the biggest challenge before the state.  

The state of Odisha should necessarily protect its forest cover and restore the lost forest; this will cool the climate and make the state livable for its people. But a large number of deaths of tigers, elephants and other wild animals due to poaching, poisoning and hunting show the disastrous condition of forest in the state. There are reported incidents of elephant families and wild animals straying into the urban area which was once their forest home. Odisha should revive its forest sector which gives hundreds of precious minor forest products; wildlife tourism, tribal folk dance, tribal handicrafts and music have immense potential to attract domestic and foreign tourists to the state. It will have a cooling effect on the climate.

Nature has blessed Odisha with a long sea coast and forest cover to combat summer heat.  Over decades, the urban area in Odisha has been growing like a demon; it spills over to forest, hills and agriculture fields; the state should have a strong law to protect the forest and agriculture fields which will protect people from summer heat. More than the law, the state needs quality human resources to implement the law.  Thirty years back, there were lush green paddy fields on both sides of the National Highway connecting Bhubaneswar to Cuttack; the paddy field was so vast that it was touching the horizon. Similarly, on both sides of the 60 kilometer road between Bhubaneswar and Puri there were paddy fields, coconut jungle, mango orchards and banana plantation; it was like a paradise on earth. Fish ponds and sparkling rivers were visible everywhere. Not a single family in the state was hungry; people were physically strong and happy. The summer was soothing due to the sea, lakes, rivers, forest, tree lairs and agriculture field.  The state should have a dedicated environment protection plan to safeguard the community capital which is essential for human survival and growth. 

A latest study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) revealed that the cultural and business capital, Cuttack reports the maximum instances of brain stroke cases among cities in India. As per the study, around 187 people in every one lakh population suffered from this brain stroke in Cuttack. It happens due to the loss of open space, growth of slums, disappearance of water bodies, food adulteration and loss of tree lairs in the city. The open drains, garbage dumps, air pollution and the absence of pedestrian paths in the city’s main roads etc adversely affect the health of people in the city. The state should plant native trees on the banks of the river Mahanadi and the Kathajodi which encircle the city. The government land in all the urban areas in the state should be converted into playgrounds, parks and libraries.  Former Chief Minister, Naveen Pattnaik had converted the stinking Taladanda Canal into a tourist destination; the open drain and canal which ran through the city was covered and converted into a grand wide road.

The economic growth and double engines are meaningless if people continue to suffer and die due to summer heat. Growth should be balanced just like a human body. God has not created human beings with abnormally huge heads or a larger belly; he balanced everything for his survival. Without balance the economic growth will amass a debt burden and collapse any government. Instead of distributing freebies to villagers, the state should spend the amount to revive rivers, lakes, ponds and crop diversity. It will boost agricultural growth and encourage people to do physical work in villages. The reversal of mind change from leading an idle life with government freebies to becoming a hard working entrepreneur will herald the beginning of a new era of sustainable development.  Odisha should balance growth with human development to become a sustainable growth model for all BJP run states.