Nagaland recorded the highest decadal growth of urban population in the country according to the 2011 Census. Roderick Wijunamai, a PhD candidate in Anthropology at Cornell University and Fellow at The Highland Institute in Kohima, believes the issue of heat is “not talked about enough.” He made this remark during the Masterclass Lecture Series organized by ‘First Rain’ in Mokokchung on 27 February.
Roderick stressed that due to rapid urbanization, climatologists and epidemiologists are increasingly concerned about the impact of heat on health and the environment. However, he lamented that Nagaland lacks “sustained planning” to address this, and the government has “no control over how cities expand due to Article 371A.”
This places Nagaland in a unique position, Roderick noted. Metaphorically speaking, he said, “Heat means our planet is sick. For instance, heat gives rise to mosquitoes, which leads to illnesses like Dengue and Malaria.”
Roderick pointed out that there are two ways to view the issue: from the macro level—how the government is handling it—and from the micro level—our lifestyles. “Why have we relied so much on electricity?” he asked, citing a simple example: “When power cuts happen, we all go outside. Why? Because home is where the heat is. Our homes have become unlivable because of the heat.”
He pointed out that building practices in Nagaland are also contributing to the problem. Many landowners prioritize land maximization due to the commercialization of buildings, often overlooking ‘passive cooling’ methods like the height of rooms or using traditional materials such as bamboo, thatch, mud, and wood. Instead, there is a growing preference for ‘active cooling’ solutions like air conditioning, which, according to Roderick, are not just about comfort but also about social status.
“Concern about social status has also contributed to the fast adoption of modern building materials like Corrugated Galvanized Iron (CGI) roof, brick and cement,” he noted, stating that the traditional materials had naturally low thermal conductivity.
“There are concrete or hollow blocks that provide good thermal insulation but either people are less aware about it or even if they are aware of it, they are unaffordable and hence, inaccessible,” he said.
Roderick stressed, “There is a need for rethinking about heat and cannot be left for individual choices. If we use AC, it gets hotter for those without AC. If we use cars, it makes it hotter for auto users. Heat is not just a meteorological state but a social reality.”
He also flagged the Government of India’s Heat Action Plan (HAP), which looks at heat in two ways: as a disaster and as mortality data. However, Roderick finds this approach problematic because it only offers “temporary fixes.”
“Heat is here to stay,” he stated. “It’s a social issue, and it needs to be raised at a policy level.”
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