Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das 

The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

A recent study by the Tata Centre for Development (TCD) at Chicago and the Climate Impact Lab predicts that by 2100, Odisha may witness as many as 42,334 annual deaths due to extreme heat waves. In May 2024 alone, the state reported 30 deaths in a single day because of intense heat. Protecting people’s lives and livelihoods from life-threatening heat waves is now one of Odisha’s greatest challenges.

Odisha must protect its remaining forest cover and restore what has been lost. Reviving the forest sector will not only cool the climate but also boost the state’s economy. Forests provide hundreds of valuable minor forest products. Wildlife tourism, tribal dance, handicrafts and music have immense potential to attract domestic and foreign tourists. A healthier forest ecosystem will have a cooling effect as well. However, over the years, frequent deaths of tigers, elephants and other wildlife due to poaching, poisoning and hunting have severely affected wildlife tourism. Depleting forests have also led to elephants and other wild animals straying into urban areas.

Nature has blessed Odisha with a long coastline and rich forest cover to help combat summer heat. But rapid and unplanned urban expansion continues to spill over into forests, hills and agricultural land. The state urgently needs strong laws to protect these natural assets — and more importantly, trained human resources to implement them effectively.

Just three decades ago, lush green paddy fields stretched across both sides of the National Highway connecting Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, extending all the way to the horizon. Similarly, the 60-km road between Bhubaneswar and Puri was once lined with paddy fields, coconut groves, mango orchards and banana plantations — a paradise on earth. Fish ponds and sparkling rivers were visible everywhere. Hunger was rare; people were physically strong and generally happy. The presence of the sea, lakes, rivers, forests, tree canopies and farmland kept summers relatively soothing. Today, harsh summers claim lives and erode countless productive hours.

A recent study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) revealed that Cuttack — the state’s cultural and business capital — reports the highest incidence of brain strokes among Indian cities. According to the study, around 187 out of every one lakh people in Cuttack suffer from strokes. This alarming trend is linked to shrinking open spaces, expanding slums, the disappearance of water bodies, food adulteration and the loss of tree cover. Open drains, garbage dumps, air pollution and the absence of pedestrian paths on major roads have further degraded the city’s quality of life. The British historian William Hunter once described Cuttack as a beautiful city with straight, wide roads and elegant bungalows. Poor planning and a lack of sustainable development vision have turned this once-beautiful city into a congested urban mess.

The government should begin by planting native trees along the banks of the Mahanadi and Kathajodi rivers, which encircle the city. No construction should be allowed on these rivers’ floodplains. Government-owned land within the city should be converted into playgrounds, parks and libraries to reduce congestion. Economic growth is meaningless if people continue to suffer and die due to extreme heat. Growth must be balanced — just as the human body is naturally balanced. Without balance, economic progress collapses quickly.

The state must revive its rivers, lakes, ponds and crop diversity. This will improve agricultural productivity and encourage physical work in villages. Migration to Cuttack can be reduced if schools and health facilities in rural areas are improved. There is an urgent need to restore life and livability to the city and build a sustainable development vision for Odisha.