Archive · 31 Jul 2026
Kolkata Heat Islands Intensify as Trees and Wetlands Vanish
Scientists studied how Kolkata’s heat has gotten hotter because of less trees and water.
They found 14 hot spots like Esplanade and Park Street where the ground can reach 36 °C.
The city lost a lot of trees and water between 2000 and 2020.
More trees can cool the city a little bit each year.
The researchers suggest protecting trees and building more parks to keep the city cooler.
Kolkata’s land surface temperatures reach 34‑36 °C in 14 hotspots, up to 10 °C hotter than nearby towns.
Study shows 60 km² of tree cover and 10 km² of water bodies lost between 2000‑2020, with impervious surfaces rising from 72 % to 86 %.
Hotspots include Esplanade, Park Street, Dalhousie Square, New Town, and Howrah industrial belt, where dense construction and traffic trap heat and pollution.
Researchers found that each additional percent of green cover reduces heat intensity by 0.01 °C annually.
Recommendations call for protecting existing vegetation, expanding urban forests, and directing new development onto already disturbed land.
- Who
- Scientists at IIT Kharagpur and Banaras Hindu University
- What
- Study of Kolkata’s urban heat islands and environmental loss
- When
- Data from 2000‑2020; study published last week
- Where
- Kolkata, India
- Why
- Loss of trees and wetlands intensifies heat and pollution
- City
- Kolkata
- Country
- India
- Study Period
- 2000-2020
- Hotspot Count
- 14
- Tree Cover Lost
- 60 km²
- Water Bodies Lost
- 10 km²
- Impervious Surface Increase
- 14% (72% to 86%)