Latest news with #ADecadalAssessment
New Indian Express
21 hours ago
- Science
- New Indian Express
Tamil Nadu's heat crisis: Either build sustainably or burn
As Tamil Nadu continues its breakneck urbanisation, a new decadal study commissioned by the State Planning Commission (SPC) has sounded alarm bells over rising land surface temperatures (LST) and worsening heat stress across the state. Titled 'Urban Growth and Thermal Stress: A Decadal Assessment of Built-Up Area and Climate Interactions in Tamil Nadu', the report reveals how unregulated urban expansion has created dangerous heat islands, strained infrastructure, and intensified ecological degradation in the last two decades. The study, which integrates high-resolution spatial data from MODIS LST, ERA5 air temperature records, and building footprint changes from 1985 to 2015, maps heat exposure at the block-level for all 389 blocks across Tamil Nadu. The results show 94 blocks have witnessed a steep rise in heat over the past 40 years, while 64 blocks currently suffer from temperatures well above the state average. Particularly vulnerable are 25 blocks—including those in Chennai, Karur, and Ramanathapuram—which fall into both categories, making them high-risk zones for future climate and health. The heat driver The report places rapid urbanisation at the heart of the problem. Between 1985 and 2015, Tamil Nadu witnessed unprecedented expansion in built-up areas, particularly in districts like Chennai, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, and Chengalpattu. For instance, S.S. Kulam block in Coimbatore more than doubled its built-up area from 62 sq km to 137 sq km—surpassing even Chennai, which expanded from 86 sq km to 131 sq km during the same period. More worryingly, when built-up area is analysed relative to a block's total geographical area, the percentage of land classified as 'built' has jumped alarmingly. In Chennai, this rose from 48 per cent to 74 per cent in just three decades, while St. Thomas Malai in Chengalpattu posted a 44 pc rise, the highest relative growth recorded. 'Heat stress is becoming one of the most tangible impacts of climate change. As urban areas expand, integrating heat considerations into planning is essential to safeguard communities and protect ecosystems. Mainstreaming Heat Action Plans at the city level is now a necessity,' said Sudha Ramen, Member Secretary and Head of Division (Land Use), SPC. Night-time heat: A silent killer One of the most significant findings of the report relates to night-time land surface temperature (nLST), a key indicator of retained heat in urban zones. Using satellite data from MODIS, the study shows that between 2000–2005 and 2018–2023, average nLST increased by nearly 4°C in many urban and peri-urban zones. Even Tier-II cities like Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, and Erode are seeing worrying upward trends, which could have serious health impacts. 'We often ignore how hot nights affect human health, both physical and mental. Sustained heat exposure after sunset reduces the body's ability to recover, increasing risks of dehydration, cardiovascular stress, and even mortality,' said Shweta Narayan, Campaign Lead, Global Climate and Health Alliance. The Universal Thermal Comfort Index (UTCI) used in the study reinforces this concern, with large areas in and around Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai falling in high thermal discomfort zones. Roughly 27 pc of the population is now residing in blocks with above-average night-time LST, putting them at prolonged risk.
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
T.N. Planning Commission submits four reports to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin
The State Planning Commission on Monday submitted four detailed reports on various subjects to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin at the Secretariat in Chennai. One of the reports called for profiling and data organisation of all mines in Tamil Nadu urgently to facilitate large-scale land-use planning. The report 'Mapping Mines in Tamil Nadu — Assessing their Restoration Potential' said the process could begin with mines exceeding a certain size threshold. Calling for collecting the details of all mines and capturing drone images, it said detailed and up-to-date information about mines would streamline the study and planning process for restoration and land-use planning at the State-level. Deputy Chief Minister and SPC's ex-officio Vice-Chairperson Udhayanidhi Stalin, SPC's executive chairperson J. Jeyaranjan, and senior officials submitted the reports to the Chief Minister. The report 'Child Nutrition — Key Challenges and Strategies' recommended emphasis on improving linear growth among children to reduce stunting, with a focus on early-life interventions. It called for focus on the first 1,000 days of life but also stressed extending interventions to pre-pregnancy and adolescence. Regular monitoring of children for weight, height, and mid-upper arm circumference, improving dietary diversity for young children were among the recommendations. The report 'Urban Growth and Thermal Stress: A Decadal Assessment of Built-up Area and Climate Interactions in Tamil Nadu' called for a comprehensive heat mitigation strategy for the State. It recommended community engagement, data-driven monitoring, block-level interventions, building construction guidelines, and urbanisation regulations. The regulations include urban infrastructure and land-use planning, urban building construction guidelines, hilly region construction regulations, rural area construction standards, and retrofitting existing structures, among others. The 'Framework for Nature-based Solutions for Enhanced Urban Resilience in Tier 2 Cities of Tamil Nadu - Framework Report' said that Tamil Nadu reflected the global trends vividly with its Tier 2 cities experiencing accelerated economic and demographic expansion. 'This urban growth, however, is contrasted against rising climate risks including urban floods, decline in groundwater, cyclones and ecological fragmentation, calling for urgent, sustainable, and resilient urban planning approaches,' it said. The proposed framework developed jointly by TN-SLURB, GIZ and CUBE presented a strategic and technical framework for mainstreaming NBS into the urban planning systems of Tier 2 cities in Tamil Nadu, it said.
