World Earth Day: Concrete is heating cities, while disappearing roadside trees could be the real climate fix

Because at 50°C, the cost of getting it wrong is no longer theoretical; it is already under our feet.

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Ankita Sharma
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Temperature check on World Earth Day reveals a sharp contrast, roads in Noida touch 50°C, while areas with trees and grass remain up to 20°C cooler in findings documented by Sector 75 resident Amit Gupta.
Temperature check on World Earth Day reveals a sharp contrast, roads in Noida touch 50°C, while areas with trees and grass remain up to 20°C cooler in findings documented by Sector 75 resident Amit Gupta.

Noida : On World Earth Day, conversations around climate change often stay confined to campaigns and social media posts. But a simple on-ground experiment across Noida and Noida Extension reveals a more immediate and visible truth: urban heat is not just about global warming, it is also about how our cities are being built.

The investigation was conducted by Sector 75 resident Amit Gupta, who carried out temperature readings between 10:30 am and 12:00 noon across multiple locations to understand how different surfaces : asphalt, concrete, grass and tree cover impact heat.

The findings are stark

At Sector 77, around 10:30 am, road surface temperatures ranged between 45°C and 46°C. Just a few feet away, under tree cover and over grass, temperatures dropped dramatically to 29°C–33°C. In one stretch with a dense neem belt, the difference touched nearly 17°C.

pictures from sector 76, 77

A similar pattern emerged in Sector 116 and Sector 79, where “grass paver” tiles have been installed as part of dust-free zone initiatives. While the road measured around 45°C, the grass paver tiles were at 42°C and nearby grass patches at 38°C. With limited tree cover and direct sunlight, the cooling effect was minimal. The intervention, marketed as green infrastructure, appeared to perform only marginally better than bare concrete.

Pictures from sector 116

In Noida Extension near Supertech Eco Village, road temperatures again touched 46°C. Areas with tree cover but no grass recorded around 38°C, while patches with grass but no trees measured about 36°C. Even without trees, grass alone reduced temperatures by nearly 10°C compared to the road surface.

Picture from Supertech Ecovillage

By noon, the situation intensified

In Sectors 75 and 76, road temperatures peaked at 50°C. In contrast, areas shaded by trees and layered with grass registered between 30°C and 35°C, a difference of up to 20°C.

Sector 75, 76 in afternoon

The pattern is consistent across locations

Where there are trees and natural ground cover, temperatures drop significantly. Where there is concrete, even in the form of “green” tiles, heat persists.

The conclusion is difficult to ignore

Tree-lined roads can bring down surface temperatures by around 10°C. When combined with grass or exposed soil beneath, the reduction can reach 15°C–20°C. However, replacing soil with concrete or tiles under trees limits this benefit, cutting the temperature difference almost in half.

This raises critical questions about current urban planning approaches. In the push to create dust-free and “maintained” spaces, natural cooling systems are being replaced with engineered surfaces that retain heat. Grass pavers, often presented as sustainable alternatives, may not deliver meaningful cooling unless supported by adequate tree cover.

A resident, Sanvarjeet Singh, points to a shrinking green stretch in Sector 79.

There is just one patch of grass lane left now. We managed to save it by planting on both sides, otherwise that too would have disappeared.

Sanvarjeet Singh

His observation reflects a broader trend : incremental loss of green cover in the name of development.

The implications go beyond comfort. Higher surface temperatures contribute to urban heat islands, increase energy demand and directly affect public health. In cities already experiencing extreme summers, the absence of trees and grass can turn roads into heat traps.

The takeaway from this Earth Day is not abstract

Planting trees along roads is not ornamental; it is essential infrastructure. Preserving open soil and grass under them is equally critical. Without these, even well-intentioned urban projects risk worsening the very problem they aim to solve.

As cities expand, the question is no longer whether development should continue, but how. Because at 50°C, the cost of getting it wrong is no longer theoretical; it is already under our feet.

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