By Binapani Mishra, Secretary, Society for Women Action Development, Satyabadi, Puri, Odisha, India

The heat waves in Odisha at present stand as a big disaster in which the vulnerability of the weaker section is increasing day by day. Extreme heat significantly affects the lives and livelihoods of small business owners and artisans. They are suffering from economic loss, reduced working capacity, diseases, and environmental degradation.

Aparijita Pani, the wife of Rajesh Pani, is a dweller of the village of Kanjia under the Penthapada Gramapanchayat of the Satyabadi block, Puri district, Odisha, and is a PATTACHITRA-making artisan. Her family consist of five members, including two daughters, her husband, and her mother-in-law. Her husband is a private lorry driver; he cannot get a regular salary from that occupation. At present, most expenses are covered by Aparijita’s earnings. Aparijita is trained in Pattachitra drawing, depicting traditional Hindu Gods and Goddesses, various animals, and images of dancing girls in different poses, with an artistic touch. She has very small place in her house which is used by her as work shed, she also engaged other three girls for helping her in making the Pattachitra, the work shed covered with asbestors, in March to May they feel extreme heat, they cannot work properly in the summer under the work shed and stop working due to so much of sweating and heat. Suffering is high, so work capacity is decreasing, as are working hours; she cannot supply the product on time.

She has her own artisan card, but due to the heat, she cannot access any government support to reduce the risk of heat waves.

In the year 2025, she received support of Rs. 5000/-, supported by AIDMI, Gujarat, under the scheme ‘’Odisha Heatwave Risk Mitigation and Management. ” She invested this money by buying a table fan for her work shed and raw materials of Patachitra, like Patti and colours.

This year, the young girls are continuing their work in the summer also. Aparijita can get the opportunity to run her work in full swing, and her earnings have increased by up to 25000/- compared to last year in these months.

She is very happy and views the small support as helping her in a great way.