Hyderabad's concrete jungle & dying lakes turn cooler spots into heat islands

Time of India

24-04-2025

Hyderabad: It's set to be a particularly sweltering summer for residents of Jubilee Hills, Kapra, and the Hayathnagar–Saroornagar belt with the three emerging as the hottest pockets of Hyderabad. So far this year, temperatures here have touched 42.5 degrees Celsius, 42.1 degrees Celsius, and 41.8 degrees Celsius respectively — even as the average of the rest of the city has hovered around the 40 degrees Celsius mark. In fact, predictions warn of the mercury level shooting up to 43 degrees here over the next few weeks,
Data retrieved from the Telangana State DPS shows that this trend started three years ago and continued through the years. Between 2022 and 2024, the three locations consistently logged average highs of 40 degrees Celsius to 42 degrees Celsius — roughly 1 degree Celsius to 1.5 degrees Celsius above the city's average.
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And while the temperatures reflect a broader climate crisis, experts attribute the heat pattern in these neighbourhoods to their "unique geography, urban planning flaws, and ecological neglect".
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Hills to high-rises
For instance, Jubilee Hills was once known for its pleasant microclimate as its natural elevation and sloping terrain helped regulate airflow and disperse heat. But the situation has reversed over the years.
"The very hills that once allowed heat to escape are now packed with high-rises, concrete roads, and glass buildings that trap warmth. It's become a classic case of the
urban heat island effect
," said D Sabrinath, an urban climate researcher, who conducted studies in Hyderabad related to the heat island effect. He added: "Today, posh villas, film studios, and upscale commercial outlets dominate the landscape. Most of these structures are built with heat-retaining materials and lack adequate green buffers. The fragmented tree cover and reduced airflow due to dense construction have left the area baking under its own infrastructure."
Dead, dry lakes
In the case of Kapra, located in the city's north-east, it's the disappearing water bodies. Home to one of the highest concentrations of lakes in the region— including the Kapra Lake, Banda Cheruvu, RK Puram Lake, Safilguda Lake, and several smaller tanks — it's now all dry land. "These lakes were natural heat moderators," said Manognya Reddy, from the Kapra Revival group that has worked extensively on preserving the water body in the Kapra region. "They absorbed heat, maintained humidity, and cooled down the surrounding air. But most of them are now either polluted, encroached, or have disappeared entirely." She added that Kapra Lake currently holds only 20% of its earlier water capacity.
"As these water bodies shrunk or vanished, the microclimate changed drastically. The barren lands, rocky terrain, and widespread concretisation replaced what were once natural coolants, leading to direct solar radiation bouncing off dry surfaces and raising ambient temperatures," said Reddy.
Dropping water levels
The Hayathnagar–Saroornagar belt, located along the downstream stretch of the Musi River, though geographically vulnerable to heat spikes, has been hit further by depleting groundwater levels. These areas sit on lower-lying land, where hot air, humidity, and pollution tend to settle. "This belt is like a basin—it collects heat and holds it in. Combine that with the fact that Saroornagar has one of the worst groundwater levels. Groundwater helps to maintain the groundwater surface temperature," said G Sailu, urban biodiversity researcher with the ministry of environment and forest. Until the end of last month, the area had water levels as low as 15 metres.
He added that the area's high-density apartment blocks, congested roads, and disappearing green zones have replaced natural buffers. Similarly, Hayathnagar's proximity to ORR and NH65 has led to increased vehicular emissions and heat from traffic. "All these combined have disrupted the microclimate of the region, leading to high mercury levels," Sailu said.