ÌÇÐÄvlog¹ÙÍø

Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India, is grappling with a maternal and infant health crisis, one that is exacerbated by the worsening climate emergency. Rising temperatures, frequent power cuts, and poor air quality are forcing new mothers into daily battles for survival.

From Chennai to Kanyakumari, heatwaves have turned homes into traps of suffocating heat, while pollution chokes infants struggling to breathe. Water shortages, dwindling nutrition, and maternal exhaustion add to an invisible crisis that has yet to find a place in mainstream climate policy discussions.

In late 2024, supported by the , I traveled across Tamil Nadu’s most climate-vulnerable regions, documenting the first-hand experiences of mothers and infants facing climate hardships. These aren't just data points—they are lived realities. Their stories reveal what it truly means to raise a child amid an environmental crisis: resilience tested daily, exhaustion without relief, and a quiet despair that rarely makes headlines. 

A mother's struggle in the heat

In a small, tin-roofed home near Chennai’s industrial belt, I met Parvathy (name changed), a young mother trying to protect her son from the relentless heat and pollution.

"It’s not just the dust on the floor, sir. That, I can clean. But the dust in the air, in the water, in the very breath my son takes. That, I cannot stop." – Parvathy, mother of an 18-month-old

Further south, in a drought-hit village in Madurai, Shabeena (name changed) shares a different but equally painful reality.

"Ponxxx was born small. Too small. I was told that breastmilk would make her strong. But how can I feed her when my own body has nothing left? Some nights, she turns away from my breast, as if hunger is a burden she can no longer carry." – Shabeena, mother of an 8-month-old

The statistics confirm their fears:

• 91% of mothers in Tamil Nadu report due to high temperatures
• 72% of infants suffer  symptoms
• 68% of mothers say heatwaves have reduced their

Tamil Nadu’s summers are getting longer and more unbearable, and frequent power outages make life even harder for mothers with newborns.

"The power went out for two days last summer—no fan, no light, nothing. The house turned into an oven. The water in the clay pot became warm. My daughter burned with fever, clinging to me, crying." – Shabeena

With no access to backup power or air-conditioning, the only relief comes after sunset, when the air cools—if only slightly.

When the air becomes the enemy

Air pollution is another silent but deadly force affecting infant health in Tamil Nadu. For mothers like Parvathy, the air is as much a danger as the heat. Living near a brick manufacturing unit, she watches the dust settle on her son’s skin, clothes, and tiny hands every morning.

"Some mornings, I wake to find a thin layer of dust on his face. I wipe it away, but it always returns. He breathes it in. He coughs. Some nights, his breathing turns heavy, rattling in his small chest."

The medical data is alarming.

• 38% of mothers report their infants experience  in summer
• 280 days per year, air pollution levels exceed for infants

When Parvathy took her son to a clinic, the doctor barely looked up before telling her to keep him away from the dust. "Where should I take him, doctor? To the fresh air that doesn’t exist?" – Parvathy

For many mothers, keeping their babies indoors is not a choice, it’s a necessity for survival. But another question arises, are their homes safe? 

Mental health: a silent casualty

Amid this physical burden, a quieter struggle brews—maternal mental health. The heat, isolation, and inability to provide basic comfort to their young children erode the emotional wellbeing of mothers.

• 82% suffer sleep deprivation due to 
• Only 8% of new mothers in Tamil Nadu have access to 

For Shabeena, the weight of motherhood is both physical and invisible.

"A mother’s thoughts are always heavy, doctor. We carry them as we carry our children—pressed against our chests, close to our hearts. Even when our arms are empty, our burdens are not."

Community-led interventions

Tamil Nadu’s , launched in 2021, acknowledges the worsening impact of climate change on human lives. While the initiative focuses on adaptation strategies, it lacks specific policies that address maternal and infant health vulnerabilities. 

Despite the challenges, mothers and communities are innovating their own solutions. They have created WhatsApp-based emergency networks – in Chennai, for example, groups of mothers have set up real-time alert systems for power cuts, extreme heat warnings, and water shortages.

Rural mothers are also reviving indigenous heat-mitigation techniques and traditional cooling practices, including: clay pot cooling systems for milk and drinking water; herbal remedies for heat-stressed infants; natural fabric wraps to prevent heat rashes.

Call to action: who must step up?

As the sun sets in Madurai, Shabeena finally feels her daughter’s body cool against hers.

"We adapt, we survive, we protect our children," she says softly, still fanning her sleeping baby. "But we shouldn’t have to be this strong. Our babies deserve better than this."

Tamil Nadu’s mothers are fighting for survival. The question is: who will fight for them?

Policymakers: Tamil Nadu must expand its Climate Change Mission to include infant and maternal health strategies.

Healthcare Sector: hospitals and primary health centers must integrate climate-adaptive care for infants.

Community Leaders & NGOs: grassroots solutions must be scaled, and funding should support maternal survival networks.

Citizens: support local NGOs, raise awareness, and advocate for climate-adaptive maternal policies.