Bhubaneswar: The final day of the three-day 'Earth Again' Conference-2025, organised by the Sambad Group in Bhubaneswar, saw experts call for sustainable urban planning to strike a balance between development and environmental preservation.

Speaking at a session titled “The Challenge of Balance: Climate, Development and Urbanisation”, they emphasised the urgent need for Indian cities to align urban growth with climate resilience and ecological balance.

Delivering the keynote address, Chandra Bhusan, President and CEO of iFOREST, said that climate change has started taking a severe toll on human life and infrastructure, as seen in the recent landslides across Shimla, Darjeeling and Nepal. “For nearly 10,000 years, the climate remained stable and suitable for life, but now we are witnessing continuous deterioration. However, it is still possible to reverse the trend if we act responsibly,” he noted.

Citing Bhubaneswar’s growing heat problem, Bhusan said that despite various initiatives, the city continues to face rising temperatures and environmental stress. “About 80 per cent of Odisha’s urban population is concentrated in cities, which are expanding rapidly. Urban areas demand more land, water and infrastructure such as roads, flyovers and buildings, leading to rising temperatures and declining air quality,” he said.

He cited Singapore as an example of a modern city that integrates traditional water conservation methods, with nearly half its land devoted to rainwater management. “Bhubaneswar must learn from such models and adopt design strategies suited to local conditions. Traditional cooling techniques and greener infrastructure can help make the city more livable,” Bhusan suggested.

Criticising the current design of low-income housing, he said that government-built concrete houses often trap heat, making them unfit for residents during summer without air conditioning. He emphasised that weak urban planning departments and poor enforcement of building and transport regulations are worsening the situation. “Municipal bodies need greater authority to act effectively, as the state government’s role in city management remains limited,” he added.

Bhusan also advised replacing black tarred roofs with white surfaces to reduce heat absorption and increasing green cover to cool the city. “Concrete is replacing greenery and water bodies at an alarming rate. Restoring green spaces is the key to mitigating urban heat,” he said.

Joining the discussion, Utpal Sharma, Professor at the Institute of Architecture and Planning, Nirma University, said India’s approach to urban expansion suffers from serious planning flaws. “As cities expand outward, pressure builds up in their core areas, but no effective measures are being taken to ease that stress. The central government remains largely inactive,” he remarked.

He noted that urban areas contribute nearly 75 per cent of India’s GDP, yet the poor live in degraded environments. “In places like Dharavi in Mumbai, massive informal settlements have emerged. Despite laws prohibiting illegal constructions, enforcement remains only on paper. Frequent flooding during monsoon shows how unplanned urban growth has failed our cities,” Sharma observed.

He stressed the need for better land management, including dedicated spaces for roads, footpaths and green zones. “Every Indian city faces similar challenges due to the lack of planned urban agriculture and green infrastructure,” he said.

Highlighting Hyderabad’s Hi-Tech City as an example, Sharma said that construction was prioritised over sustainable planning. “We must build new urban designs that consider both population growth and temperature management. Wastewater treatment, green zoning and ecological safeguards should be built into every plan,” he concluded, adding that “there is simply no alternative to environmentally responsible city planning.”