Kolkata might experience a much graver water shortage than Bengaluru, said Dipankar Sinha, a council member of the Institute of Town Planners, India (ITPI), on Saturday.

Sinha and other ITPI members were addressing a press conference warning citizens of the potential dangers of rapid urbanisation amid abnormal weather conditions.

ITPI chairperson Debabrata Ghosh said, “Kolkata recently experienced temperatures exceeding 43 degrees Celsius, which is highly unusual. We need to raise awareness among residents. The rapid urbanisation in Bengal has led to increased construction and the widespread use of air conditioners to combat the heat. However, there is a huge lack of attention to creating green spaces like children’s parks, planting trees, and preserving water bodies. It is important to stop the tendency for people to blindly follow trends without considering the potential negative consequences of their actions.”

“Disasters such as heavy rainfall, floods, and storms have a greater impact on the poor, lower and middle-class communities, including those living in Kolkata’s slums and modest housing. These catastrophes can lead to house collapses, power and communication outages, flooding, displacement, and loss of essential services. However, the risk of such disasters is not limited to any specific group; everyone in the city is vulnerable. To mitigate these risks, it is necessary to create an inclusive, sustainable, and resilient city. This can be achieved by prioritising scientific and realistic planning, with public input,” said the ITPI members in a statement, calling for adopting holistic planning instead of isolated projects for environmental preservation.

Some of the measures suggested by the ITPI members to mitigate climate change-related disasters are:

On Sunday, Kolkata experienced a daytime temperature of 39.72 degrees Celsius and the highest humidity of 90 per cent. The sky was partly cloudy, and thunderstorms with lightning and gusty wind (40-50 kmph) were possible in the evening.