Apropos the article, ‘Footloose in Nagpur’ by Vijay Phanshikar and the opinion shared by Santosh Kumar Basak on May 29, regarding summer of 2026 in Nagpur, I thought of sharing my views also on the issue. I have been living in Nagpur since childhood and never felt summer so unbearable! Thanks to cement roads and unprecedented tree cutting, choking of trees, paver blocks and what not!! To reduce the alarming heat scenario, the common public, city fathers, developmental agencies and NGOs need to come together and find means to reduce heat. Instead of putting greens nets at city squares better ways need to be devised.

 

It should be strictly ordered that no internal roads of various colonies should be concretised. Instead, simple tar roads with muddy sidewalks should be maintained. The places become vacant after big trees in various colonies/roads fall because of storms, the residents of the areas or Social Forestry Department should immediately plant a tree in such places with plants having minimum height of 3-4 feet so that its survival can be ensured. It should also be ascertained that the plants are of native variety. It is a known secret that planting trees is the only solution which human beings can use to tackle global warming and reducing harsh summers in Nagpur. Otherwise, nature has its own harsh ways to show its fury when we play with Nature/Environment. Together we should and We can!