Ab ki baar ? 52 par!

This summer has been very appalling and shocking for all of us. This time, our entire country has faced extreme heat waves. So the heat of the country has broken all the records so far. For about five to seven days, the temperature in various cities of the country has been around fifty degrees, sometimes even more than fifty degrees. Which is not a good thing for us. Because this heat represents our climate, which has suffered massive climate damage. Also, this heat has also affected us. Due to this heat, more than three hundred people died in the country in just fifteen days. Hundreds of people in the country have been forced to be hospitalized due to this heat.

And if we say that this heat affected only humans, it will be wrong. Because the current heat has also caused very bad effects on our biodiversity, where in Uttarakhand forest fire has broken out in lakhs of hectares of forests and many plants, animals and birds have been severely damaged. It means that the time has come for the worries that we used to have in the past. And now we are falling victim to deadly climate events in every season.

Well, I want to talk about the heat. In particular, we have to talk about the cities that have become hotspots. Because I personally believe that cities and urbanization have contributed a lot to the increase in temperature. I have good reasons for that too. As cities and urbanization have reduced the country's green cover. Due to which the increase in temperature is evident. But along with reducing the green cover, the big mistake in our cities is the mistake of covering maximum areas with concrete or paver blocks on the soil and that too covering without giving it proper space! This summer, we all felt that even if the temperature was forty degrees, it felt like forty-five degrees! Why? So that's because of the paver blocks embedded in the concrete and asphalt roads and sidewalks of our city lanes!

Because of these concrete and paver blocks, the heat was reflected back, and as much heat was coming from above as it was being reflected from below. Due to which our condition became very bad. So now we all have to be aware that we do not have to fill the land of cities with indiscriminate concrete or paver blocks. Also, paver blocks and concrete don't just increase heat. But it also causes huge damage to trees in cities.

Firstly, there are few trees in our cities. Also, when we plant paver blocks on footpaths or elsewhere, we stunt the growth of trees. Ultimately, trees also need nutrients from the soil. Also, they take nitrogen from the air through the soil, and we are the ones who don't leave even soil around the trees and fill it with paver blocks. However, this is extremely wrong. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has also given a guideline in this regard that cities should leave three feet of space around the trees, so that the trees get proper nutrients and the insects and other biodiversity living in the soil get a life.

Otherwise, due to the tendency of not leaving the soil, we have lost a large number of earthworms, insects, and many other reptiles. Due to which our climate has had a very big impact. In short, this summer has given us a very big lesson. That we now have to stop excessive use of paver blocks and concrete from cities. If we adopt this approach, we can fight two things at once. The first thing is that we will be able to fight the heat. Secondly, we will be able to grow the trees of the cities very well, which will directly benefit our environment and biodiversity.