As India endures another summer of record-breaking temperatures—with cities regularly exceeding 45°C (113°F) and heat-related deaths mounting—the country is systematically destroying the very infrastructure that could provide relief: its urban tree canopy.
A comprehensive investigation by Article 14, a nonprofit journalism organization, documents how infrastructure projects across major Indian cities are removing thousands of trees annually, eliminating natural cooling systems precisely when climate change makes them most critical.
The findings reveal a climate paradox at the heart of India's development model: the same government that committed to ambitious carbon reduction targets and renewable energy expansion is presiding over the destruction of urban forests that provide free, natural climate adaptation.
In India, as across the subcontinent, scale and diversity make simple narratives impossible—and fascinating. The tree-cutting epidemic affects virtually every major city—Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kolkata—though the justifications vary. Metro rail expansion, highway widening, new flyovers, smart city projects, real estate development: each comes with environmental clearances that authorize the removal of mature trees.
The numbers are staggering. Delhi alone has approved the felling of over 30,000 trees since 2020 for various infrastructure projects. Mumbai lost 2,700 trees to the metro rail project. Bangalore, once called the "Garden City" for its lush canopy, has seen tree cover decline by 15% over the past decade as technology parks and residential complexes replace green spaces.
The impact on urban temperatures is measurable and severe. Studies by the Indian Institute of Science show that tree-lined streets in Bangalore are 5-7°C cooler than treeless areas during summer afternoons. In Delhi, neighborhoods that retained tree cover experienced significantly fewer heat-related health emergencies than those where trees were removed for development.
Yet the removals continue, often despite legal protections. India's environmental regulations require compensatory tree planting—typically at ratios of 10:1, meaning ten saplings planted for every mature tree felled. In practice, survival rates for compensatory plantations rarely exceed 30%, and saplings take decades to provide the cooling and air purification benefits of mature trees.
