Boudh, a central town in Odisha, is grappling with record-breaking heatwaves attributed to deforestation, a drying Mahanadi River, and inadequate environmental interventions
OdishaPlus Bureau
It is surprising that the central town of Odisha, once famous for its pleasant weather, is now becoming the hottest place in the country just days into summer. Even though it is bordered by thick forests on three sides and the Mahanadi River on another, the town is experiencing extreme heat, reaching a high of 43.5°C on Monday. The Regional Meteorological Centre reported that Boudh recorded maximum temperatures of 40.5°C on Saturday, 42.5°C on Sunday, and 43.5°C on Monday over the past three days.
Boudh is ranked higher than typical summer destinations such as Titilagarh and Bolangir in the state. Additionally, the IMD has issued a heatwave warning for western Odisha, categorized into yellow, orange, and red levels.
Geographical Position
Environment experts cite several reasons which might be contributing to the rising temperature. First, the geographical positioning – trees on hills to the three sides and a drying Mahanadi River on the fourth which is leading to heat being trapped. Environmentalist Jayakrushna Panigrahi explains, “Heatwave is felt when the upper atmosphere is pressurised and there is no way for it to escape. Add to it the massive stretch of sand as the river has dried up. This constant exposed river bed absorbs the heat and gathers into a hot bag.”
Besides rampant deforestation has also impacted the natural cooling properties in the region. A resident of the town Bishwanath Nayak says the greenery has depleted from across the locality and that has led to the warming up of the atmosphere. “Earlier the green canopy and the Mahanadi kept us cool but the river has completely dried up and trees are also being felled frequently and summers here are getting unbearable,” he added.
Green Mahanadi
It’s important to note that the Odisha government, under the BJD leadership, launched the much-publicized Green Mahanadi Mission in 2018. This initiative aimed to restore water bodies, including the Mahanadi River and its tributaries, Tel and Ib, by promoting large-scale tree planting.
The mission planned to create a green belt of 1 km on each side of the river by afforesting 75,760 hectares of government land and 47,470 hectares of private land. Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik promised that two crore saplings would be planted across more than 1,300 villages in 15 districts as part of the Green Mahanadi Mission. However, the project has not progressed and is currently inactive.
Empty Reservoir
Surendranath Pasupalak, a climate specialist with extensive experience in the MET department, explains that external factors are causing the land to retain heat instead of cooling off at night. He notes that the summers, which used to bring unexpected rain, are now a thing of the past, with many months passing without any rainfall.
Boudh, home to about 30,000 residents, traditionally depended on five main reservoirs for water. However, most of these are now dry due to poor maintenance. Panigrahi suggests that restoring the reservoirs and promoting sustainable tree planting could help lower temperatures over time.
Residents of Boudh are frustrated with the government’s inaction. They point out that despite the allocation of thousands of crores for various programs, none have produced any results. Nayak stated, “If the government had taken action on initiatives like river rejuvenation and forest conservation, we wouldn’t be facing this problem now.”
Bargarh, Sonepur, and Boudh are affected by dry winds from the northwest, where there are no forests, leading to low humidity. As humidity decreases, temperatures rise. He noted that since the winds come from the Bay of Bengal, coastal areas experience lower temperatures.
Similar Situation
This increase in temperature is also being observed in nearby Phulbani, Baripada, and Jharsuguda, where the situation is similarly dire due to deforestation, which exacerbates the lack of humidity.
Panigrahi noted that the mining activities in Jharsuguda have affected the local climate. He also mentioned that even with the thick Similipal forests, Mayurbhanj is still feeling the effects of rising temperatures.
While the IMD forecasts a temperature decrease after March 22–23, experts caution that more severe conditions are on the horizon. A climate expert warned that in some years, the increasing heat could lead to significant discomfort.
Pasupalak pointed out that the situation will deteriorate if we keep overlooking the environmental costs of development. He attributed the problem not only to the growing population but also to a lack of public awareness. He stressed that if we don’t take action now, India will face serious consequences in the future.
As heatwave conditions are likely to continue, authorities have advised people to stay hydrated, avoid direct sunlight, and adhere to heat advisories as they are issued.
