NEW DELHI: Around 76 per cent of Delhi’s area remained heat-stressed for six or more years between 2015 and 2024, with most construction sites, marketplaces and schools located in areas experiencing recurring extreme heat, according to a report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
The report, Making Delhi Heat-Resilient: A Roadmap with the Focus on Vulnerable Groups, found that 98.72 per cent of the city’s total area crossed the heat-stress threshold at least once during the decade.
According to the study, 92 per cent of construction projects are situated in areas where land surface temperatures exceeded 45°C at least once between 2015 and 2024, while 77 per cent are located in zones facing recurring extreme heat.
The report noted that 84 per cent of Delhi’s 643 mapped marketplaces, including major mandis, are in areas experiencing recurrent heat stress. Similarly, 76 per cent of mapped informal settlements, home to nearly 1.32 million people, are located in heat-stressed localities.
It also found that 80 per cent of the city’s 1,066 mapped schools are situated in heat-stressed areas.
Thirty-five wards, including Matiala, Kakraula, Narela and Chandni Chowk, were identified as having “high” to “very high” cumulative vulnerability. Of Delhi’s 272 wards, 153 have more than 75 per cent of their area exposed to recurring heat stress, while 82 wards have over 90 per cent of their area affected. Seventeen wards are entirely under heat stress.
The report warned that Delhi is facing an escalating heat crisis, with “feels-like” temperatures reaching up to 52°C in 2025. It noted that 25 heat-related deaths were officially reported in the city in 2024, although independent estimates placed the toll at more than 55.
Delhi is also moving towards a “new and warmer normal”, with both average maximum and minimum temperatures rising over the past four decades. The city’s ability to cool down at night has declined by 9 per cent, while its urban core cools 3.8°C less than surrounding peri-urban areas, leading to round-the-clock heat stress in densely built neighbourhoods.
Areas identified as persistently heat-stressed include the walled city and adjoining localities, Karol Bagh, Kashmere Gate, Connaught Place, Uttam Nagar, Palam, Dabri, Najafgarh, Kanjhawala, Budh Vihar, Bawana and Narela. Other affected locations include Samaypur Badli, Bhalswa, Jahangirpuri, Burari, Shahdara, Bhajanpura, Karawal Nagar, the Ghazipur and Okhla industrial areas, Badarpur, Madanpur Khadar, Tughlaqabad, Sangam Vihar, Mahipalpur, Aya Nagar, Bhikaji Cama Place, AIIMS, RK Puram and parts of South Delhi.
Industrial zones such as Bawana, Mayapuri, Mundka, Anand Parbat and Mongolpuri have emerged as major heat hotspots, while several residential areas recorded land surface temperatures between 44°C and 50°C.
The study also identified recently developed and redeveloped projects, including Bharat Mandapam, East Kidwai Nagar Housing Complex, the World Trade Centre in Safdarjung and Netaji Nagar, as heat-stressed areas.
Land surface temperatures reached as high as 60.77°C during summer months in locations such as Indira Gandhi International Airport and stretches of barren or unsown agricultural land.
According to the report, Delhi’s green cover declined from 25.36 per cent in 2014 to 14.14 per cent in 2024. The area covered by water bodies also shrank from 1.25 per cent to 0.99 per cent during the same period.
The report noted that around 35 per cent of the city’s existing green and blue spaces are themselves heat-stressed, underscoring the need to improve both the quality and extent of such areas.
In contrast, parts of the city including Lutyens’ Delhi, Civil Lines and Delhi Cantonment remained below the heat-stress threshold, largely due to extensive tree cover and shaded surfaces. The Yamuna also continues to provide a cooling effect, with nearby land surface temperatures remaining close to 33°C.
Warning of the wider economic consequences, the report said heat-related productivity losses could amount to up to 4.5 per cent of India’s GDP, or roughly USD 150–250 billion, by the end of the decade.
For the study, CSE analysed Landsat satellite data from 2015 to 2024 and mapped vulnerable groups, including children, older people, women, construction workers, street vendors, homeless people and residents of informal settlements, against heat-stressed zones.
The report called for a heat-resilience strategy focused on vulnerable communities, alongside measures such as thermally efficient roofs, public cooling centres, climate-responsive urban planning and the expansion of green cover across the capital.
(With inputs from PTI)