Shifting sands

Indian cities are grappling with intense climate impacts, from deadly heatwaves and water scarcity to relentless traffic and urban sprawl-necessitating sustainable solutions; writes Kush Mohan Mittal

- Kush Mohan Mittal

India's cities, once symbols of hope and ambition, now face crises of our own making. Unchecked urban sprawl has turned Delhi into intense "heat islands," trapping heat and pushing temperatures as much as eight degrees above the norm, reaching over 50 degrees Celsius. In this blistering heat, the human body fights desperately to avoid irreversible tissue damage, which can occur at a body temperature of 42 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Bengaluru, once the refreshing "Garden City," now suffocates under relentless traffic gridlock. Frustrated commuters often abandon their cars, walking home faster than the standstill vehicles stuck in a massive traffic jam. On the other hand, Chennai faced a severe water crisis in 2019, with reservoirs plummeting to just 10 percent capacity. This forced the city to rely on water trains, delivering over 420 million liters.

Imagine our children growing up in a city where stepping outside feels like stepping into an oven, where traffic jams are so severe that walking is faster than driving, and where water, the essence of life, is delivered by trains. These are not isolated events; they are urgent warnings calling us to rethink how we live and what kind of cities we are building for tomorrow.