Indore’s green claims fall short:Sparse shade despite 20 lakh trees; IIT study warns of rising temperatures

Despite claims of over 1,400 gardens and nearly 20 lakh trees, the ground reality in Indore paints a different picture. From main roads to residential colonies, dense shade is largely missing, leaving residents struggling for relief during peak summer. Experts warn that if current conditions persist, temperatures could rise by around 0.5% over the next 20 years. Tree numbers high on paper, impact missing According to municipal records, the city has large numbers of plants, including custard apple, 100,000 Hadjod, 90,000 Ashwagandha, over 65,000 Chitrak, and black turmeric. However, these plantations have had little visible impact on reducing urban heat. Despite annual claims of planting lakhs of saplings, rising temperatures suggest limited effectiveness. With a population exceeding 35 lakh, the city has roughly 0.57 trees per person—about one tree for every two people—highlighting insufficient green cover. Call for ‘shade city’ over ‘smart city’ Urban planners stress that transforming Indore into a “smart city” requires more than IT parks and wide roads. Instead, the focus should shift to creating “green pockets” like Kothari Market. Experts recommend planting canopy-forming trees such as banyan, peepal, neem, and mahua to provide dense shade and cooling. Decline in green cover since 2000 Until the year 2000, Indore’s roads were lined with dense greenery. Major stretches—such as Mhow Naka to Annapurna, Mhow Naka to Footi Kothi, and Lasudia to Rajiv Pratima—once had continuous rows of peepal, neem, and banyan trees, which have now largely disappeared. Even the Ring Road, once lined with thousands of trees, has seen significant loss of green cover. Key projects still incomplete Several green initiatives remain unfinished, including the plan to develop 100 “Ahilya Vans” and the Umang Vatika project. Natural cooling reduces heat and energy use At Kothari Market, centuries-old banyan and peepal trees provide natural cooling. While the market has hundreds of air-conditioned shops, the real cooling comes from tree cover, which can lower temperatures by 3–4°C. Traders say the shade reduces direct sunlight on shop walls, lowering indoor temperatures and cutting electricity consumption. How trees provide natural cooling Rapid loss of green belt Infrastructure projects such as metro construction, road widening, and flyovers have led to the cutting of thousands of mature trees in the past year. An Indian Institute of Technology study has also indicated a rise in heatwave days alongside a rapid decline in the city’s green belt. Notably, there is no precise official record of the city’s total green cover.