Ahmedabad: Heat exposure in Ahmedabad depends heavily on where you live. Eastern wards — crammed with residents, stripped of trees, and up to 8°C hotter than rural surroundings — are particularly vulnerable. Western areas are relatively cooler due to lower population density and better green cover. A new study by Pandit Deendayal Energy University (PDEU) puts numbers to this reality and ranks every ward based on a Relative Heat Risk (RHR) Index.
Researchers Shubham Kela, associate professor Anurag Kandya, and Viral Patel created a Relative Heat Risk (RHR) Index used NASA satellite data to combine land surface temperature, green cover, and population density into a single score. The findings are stark: 16 eastern wards fall into the "critical" heat risk category. With an average density of 58,415 people per sq km and minimal tree cover, these wards house 32.4% of the city's population. Six additional "severe" risk wards push that figure to 44%, meaning nearly half the city lives in "thermal danger".
The critical zone itself covers just 53.6 sq km, making it one of the most densely populated and heat-stressed urban pockets in the country.
Viratnagar tops the danger index (0.767), followed by Dariapur (0.753), Amraiwadi (0.748), Indrapuri (0.736), and Maninagar (0.717), all in the east. Conversely, lower-risk wards include Gota (0.153), Maktampura (0.176), and Sarkhej (0.208), mostly in the west.
Even "better" areas struggle. Gota, the greenest ward, has 68% of its land below the minimum vegetation threshold for urban areas, defined in the study as a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) of 0.3. In 10 wards, over 95% of land falls below this baseline.
Prof Kandya said, "Heat is a city-wide issue, but targeted action is necessary." He explained, "The study prioritizes land surface temperature over ambient as it is easier and cheaper to measure across large areas, making it a practical tool for resource-limited administrations."
By identifying the most vulnerable pockets, the index offers a clear starting point for municipal interventions. As Kandya put it, the data allows officials to identify vulnerable pockers and offers a clear starting point for municipal interventions.
Get real-time updates and result insights on the
MSBSHSE HSC Result 2026 and
CBSE 12th Result 2026Paul John is the Chief of Bureau at TOI Ahmedabad, with over two ...
Read MorePaul John is the Chief of Bureau at TOI Ahmedabad, with over two decades of work experience across TOI bureaus in Vadodara and Surat. He has led impactful environmental campaigns, including Gujarat's Toxic Corridor, My City My River, the RTI Act awareness campaign 'Jago Gujarat – Use RTI', and the Ahmedabad Heritage Campaign, which helped the city gain UNESCO World Heritage City status. He also co-authored TOI's heritage books for three cities. Currently, he coordinates the Ahmedabad reporting team, focusing on civic-focused journalism.
Read Less
Start a Conversation
Post comment