Abnormal is new normal
Srinagar, Jun 9: A recent report has raised alarm over the ever-rising number of days where the maximum temperatures are breaking records in the last century across India.
In J&K, six weather stations recorded maximum temperatures shooting past the record of 123 years, not just once, but in five months of 2024. The rising temperatures are a result of many environmental slumps and the tree cover loss is a major one among them.
J&K lost a forest area of the size of two-thirds of Srinagar city over the past 22 years, scientific satellite imaging shows.
The forest depletion is more rapid and accentuated in the urban centres of Srinagar and Jammu, owing to expanding residential needs and infrastructure projects.
The result ñ the twin capital cities are experiencing the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects, the heat traps with a profound impact on the temperatures in summer.
The State of Indiaís Environment Report released on June 5 this year notes that in 2024, weather stations in 30 of the 36 states and union territories broke their monthly highest 24-hour maximum temperature in 123 years.
In J&K, six weather stations recorded their 123-year highest temperatures for five months.
This is among the highest number of monthly record-breaking instances.
Kerala had abnormal temperatures for 10 months, Tamil Nadu for 8 months, Andhra Pradesh and Lakshadweep for 7 months, West Bengal for 6 months, and J&K for 5 months.
The report has been compiled using Indian Meteorological Department data.
Trees act as natural coolers through the process of evapotranspiration.
Moreover, concrete surfaces that replace trees in expanding urbanised settings absorb more solar radiation and heat the surroundings.
This is called the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect.
In addition, the air does not cool at night, when the sun is down if there are no or fewer trees around, thus, the nights in urban centres remain hot, unlike areas with substantial tree cover.
This is exactly what Srinagar and Jammu specifically experience in summer.
Due to the massive tree cover loss, the twin capital cities turn into islands of discomfort.
The Global Forest Watch (GFW) data shows that J&K lost 21.2 kha (212 sq km) of tree cover between 2001 and 2023, a 0.39 percent decrease in the regionís total tree cover.
While this figure spans the entire J&K, the urban centres have been significant contributors due to the multiple development projects underway in the cities and their vicinity.
A visual representation of the forest cover loss of 212 sq km could be clearing 72 percent or two-thirds of Srinagarís 294 sq km urban area or nearly two times Jammuís 112 sq km urban area.
In 2023 alone, J&K lost 112 hectares of natural forest.
According to reports, the Srinagar Ring Road project alone felled 1.10 lakh privately owned trees.
A study on Indian urban ecosystems found that wetland and green space loss exacerbates UHI, with temperatures rising 1 to 6 degrees Celsius higher than rural surroundings.
The decline in tree cover reduces evapotranspiration, intensifying heat in densely built areas.
An analysis of 89 cities in India shows a significant relationship between the UHI-induced heatwave and the area of impermeable surfaces in the city, notes a study on UHI in India.
