‘Bangalore has seen heat like never before’: IFS officer links rising temperatures to disforestation

Bengaluru has been grappling with an intense heat spell over the past few days, leaving residents struggling with unusually high temperatures. Amid the rise, an Indian Forest Service (IFS), Dipika (Goyal) Bajpai officer took to social media platform X, raising concerns about disforestation and reigniting debate over rapid urbanisation and the city’s declining green cover.IFS officer links rising temperatures in Bengaluru to disforestation. (HT Photo)Sharing her concerns on X, Bajpai wrote, “Bangalore has seen heat like never before. Part of the problem is large-scale deforestation and concrete roads, with roadside trees gone permanently. We will pay a heavy price in the coming years.” She added that only “aggressively” planting roadside trees, creating urban forest parks and mandating greenery in residential spaces can offer relief.The post, shared on Sunday, was in reference to another widely circulated post claiming that in Noida, temperatures on an open road touched 46 degrees Celsius, while areas under tree cover remained significantly cooler at 29 degrees Celsius.Netizen reactionsNetizens responding to Bajpai’s post raised concerns, often pointing fingers at unchecked development. One user wrote, “What is the reason for Deforestation? Us, humans only. Everyone wants to invest and buy in BLR. Therefore, deforestation will continue. Like it or not. That’s the reality.”Also read | High command will take a call on Karnataka’s leadership: DK ShivakumarOthers were more critical of governance and planning: “The city has been stripped of trees in the name of development – nexus, corruption etc. rules the state. Lakes are landfilled to sell to real estate. It’s a downward spiral.”Some questioned broader climatic shifts, asking, “Cutting trees is bad but how does it explain increased sun intensity? Im curious if theres an explanation there,” pointing to confusion around the interplay between urban heat and global warming.Also read |