GUWAHATI: As residents stepped out into sweltering streets on Monday, June 1, Guwahati once again found itself grappling with soaring temperatures, oppressive humidity, and growing concerns over a cityscape increasingly stripped of its natural cooling cover.
ALSO READ: Suspected Adulterated Vegetable Destroyed After Food Safety Probe at Assam's Barpeta
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Guwahati recorded a maximum temperature of around 35.4°C on June 1, remaining above normal levels and continuing a trend of rising summer temperatures witnessed in recent years. Forecasts indicate that temperatures are likely to hover around the same range over the next few days.
For many residents, however, the numbers tell only part of the story.
“The heat feels much worse than before. By noon, it becomes difficult to even stand at traffic signals,” said a Rapido rider waiting for bookings near GS Road.
Across the city, from Paltan Bazar to Christian Basti and G.S Road, pedestrians searched for patches of shade.
Speaking to GPlus, an Uber driver operating between Kahilipara and G.S Road said, “After 1 PM, the roads feel like they're radiating heat from below. The temperature shown on weather apps may be 35 degrees, but inside the traffic it feels much hotter.”
As temperatures climbed on Monday, residents experienced that reality firsthand.
A delivery worker resting beneath a tree in G.S Road summed up the feeling shared by many across the city, “I am living in Guwahati since 2 years and every year the city feels hotter.”
Bhabesh Malla Buzar Baruah, a resident of New Guwahati, in his late 70s told GPlus, “Earlier from Bhangagarh onwards till Khanapara was like a normal highway, with tress and paddy fields and small Assam-type houses, very limited buildings. Some old landmarks include the old mill building. The medical college was not there initially, it was at Panbazar MMCH. Rapid development started occuring after the capital was shifted from Shillong to Guwahati, adding to deforestation in the city. Rapid commercialisation in the 2000s gave rise to commercialised buildings. Guwahati does not look like what it did earlier.”
“I have to work in this heat. It’s my duty but the heat these days definitely affect my health,” said an Assam Home Guard official in Ulubari.
Speaking to GPlus, Pramod Kalita, an environmentalist said, “If tree felling continues to happen, the heat wave is increasing day by day. Earlier this entire city had lots of trees. In areas like Panbazaar, there were lots of trees but now there are parks and other infrastructure. Development has contributed to the city's rising temperature and will keep on getting worse if mindful decisions are not taken."
As Guwahati continues its race toward urban expansion, the question many residents are beginning to ask is whether the city's development is coming at the cost of its natural cooling shield.
According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023, Assam lost approximately 83 to 86.66 square kilometres of forest cover between 2021 and 2023, one of the highest declines recorded in the country. The report also noted degradation in canopy density across nearly 1,699 square kilometres of forested land, indicating a significant reduction in forest quality and density.
As Guwahati continues to expand with new roads, flyovers and concrete structures, environmentalists warn that development cannot come at the cost of the city's natural cooling system.
If the current trend continues, Guwahati's rising temperatures may no longer be a seasonal discomfort but a permanent consequence of a city growing faster than its green cover can survive.