Bhubaneswar, May 6 -- Braving the intense heat wave, leaders of all the political parties are hitting the campaign trail, raising the political temperatures on a host of issues - women empowerment, unemployment and the plight of farmers -- for the 2024 elections. But they are hardly concerned about issues like environment and climate change, even if these issues bear much significance now, with mercury soaring to almost 46 Degrees Celsius in many places across Odisha.

Worryingly, the temperatures in Odisha were recently among the highest in Asia.

On the other hand, forests are burning, most rivers in Odisha are running dry and groundwater level is rapidly plummeting.All such issues are missing from the poll agendas of the political part...