Hyderabad: The maximum temperature recorded this season crossed 47.2ºC on May 27 (captured at an automatic weather recording station), while some areas in Hyderabad recorded a scorching 44.8ºC. Hyderabad’s average temperatures for this time of the year has over the years risen by 0.5ºC to 1ºC. The city happens to be among those in India with less than 20 per cent green cover as a result of which, Hyderabad is light years away from making it to the list of the top 10 environment-friendly cities.
According to satellite images captured by the European Space Agency (ESA), the built-up area of the city has increased a great deal as a result of which the green area within the city and blue area of the Hussainsagar have shrunk drastically. The images provide a clear picture of the disappearing lakes and of Hyderabad turning into a heat island with just a tiny area of green cover.
According to the urban biodiversity department, “The total area of a city, its population, and built-up area are all taken into consideration when calculating green cover. Hyderabad’s green cover amounts to barely 4-5 per cent versus the required 15 per cent as per the built-up area.”
Weather experts attribute the rise in temperatures to various factors apart from rapid urbanisation and decrease in urban forest cover. These include the overall increase in average temperatures across India and the hot and dry winds flowing from a landlocked area like Afghanistan.
Plausible solutions to this problem include saving trees, urban forestation, mandatory colony parks, and roadside plantations.
