BHUBANESWAR : Around 73 per cent women and 62 per cent men face heat exhaustion during heatwave in urban areas of the state, a study has revealed.
The study carried out by SwitchON Foundation, that works in the field of conservation and sustainable livelihoods, has also found headache, dizziness, nausea and heat rash to be the most commonly noticed health issues among respondents in urban areas. A majority of the respondents cited headache as the most common general concern due to heatwave, the foundation stated.
It stated during research, 56 per cent of the respondents reported limited access to cooling facilities, indicating a significant challenge in addressing the issue. Heatwave, as per the study, also put around 33 per cent of individuals under significant financial strain.The urban population in the state is experiencing various health and infrastructural challenges due to such financial burden.
Moreover, 77 per cent of the respondents in the research have been found to be facing physical issues during heatwave conditions. Infrastructural challenges like frequent power cuts and water shortages emerged as major hurdles for around 61 per cent of the respondents. Besides, 56 per cent of people have limited access to cooling facilities, indicating a significant challenge in dealing with the issue, the survey underlined. As per the response pattern of the survey, indoor dwellers, especially homemakers and retirees, are the most affected.
As urban areas are worst affected by heatwave, nearly 30 per cent of the respondents in the survey suggested modifying urban planning to mitigate the extreme scenario. Around 99 per cent of the respondents in urban Odisha also feel government authorities should ensure more measures in place to mitigate the impact of heatwave.