Delhi Lost Nearly Half Its Green Cover In A Decade As Heat Stress Engulfed Almost Entire City: Report
Delhi has lost nearly half of its green cover in the last decade, while heat stress has spread across almost the entire city, according to a new report that paints a stark picture of how rapid urbanisation is making India's capital increasingly difficult to cool. The report, Making Delhi Heat-Resilient: A Roadmap with the Focus on Vulnerable Groups, released by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), found that 98.72 per cent of Delhi's area crossed the heat-stress threshold at least once between 2015 and 2024. More alarmingly, over three-fourths of the city, 75.78 per cent of its total area, has remained persistently heat-stressed during the decade. The findings come as Delhi experiences increasingly intense and prolonged summers, with heatwaves becoming more frequent and nighttime temperatures remaining elevated for longer periods. Delhi experienced a month of weather extremes in May, recording its hottest May in two years while also registering its cleanest air quality for the month in nearly five years. According to data shared by Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the capital's average maximum temperature in May was 39.7°C, while the average minimum temperature stood at 25.8°C. Parts of Delhi Touching 60°C Using satellite-derived land surface temperature data, researchers found temperatures reaching as high as 60.77 degrees Celsius during summer months in locations such as the Indira Gandhi International Airport and other barren or sparsely vegetated stretches. Several industrial clusters, including Bawana, Mayapuri, Anand Parbat, Libaspur and Mundka, have emerged as major heat hotspots. Even residential neighbourhoods across the city are routinely recording land surface temperatures between 44°C and 50°C. The report identifies the walled city and its extensions, Karol Bagh, Kashmere Gate, Connaught Place, Uttam Nagar, Palam, Najafgarh, Budh Vihar, Bawana and Narela among the areas facing recurring heat stress. "What is building up the heat stress is unplanned self-constructed housing and buildings," the report notes, highlighting the role of dense urban development, concrete surfaces and shrinking natural landscapes. Delhi Is Losing Its Ability To Cool Down One of the report's most concerning findings is that Delhi's ability to cool itself during the night is declining. According to CSE's analysis, the city's diurnal cooling capacity, the ability to release heat accumulated during the day, has reduced by 9 per cent. The urban core now cools 3.8°C less than peri-urban areas. This means residents are increasingly facing warmer nights in addition to hotter days. The report found that Delhi breached its normal mean maximum temperature on 42 out of 50 occasions during summer months between 2015 and 2024, suggesting that the city is gradually shifting towards a "new and warmer normal." Warmer nights are also driving greater dependence on air-conditioners, creating what researchers describe as a dangerous feedback loop. As more air-conditioners operate, they release waste heat into the surrounding environment, further raising ambient temperatures and increasing electricity demand.