km. in 1961 to 851 sq.km. in 2011. The number
of vehicles recorded a 113% growth from
1,091,734 road vehicles in 2001 to 2,326,028
vehicles in 2011.
In the megacity of Hyderabad, urban heat
island growth has been estimated in view of the
corresponding urban expansion and population
growth during 1961–2011. The city of Hyderabad had a sporadic growth in isolated nuclei. It
has not been a contiguous and compact city. This
may be due to the rocky and hilly topographic
constraints. The corresponding population
growth recorded a total growth of 6.62 million
people. In 1961, the population density of
Hyderabad was 6,270 persons per sq.km. By the
year 2011, the average population density of
Hyderabad grew to 9,106 persons per sq.km.
This could perhaps be attributed to the absence of
any labour intensive industry worth the name in
Hyderabad. The vast and spacious growth of
modern Hyderabad could be seen in relation to
the burgeoning service sector and the software
industries with lots of infrastructural growth and
large commercial area extent.
5.5 Conclusion
The problem of urban heat island is more critical
in the already hot and longer summer tropics.
Urban heat island is not a problem of temperature
alone. It is a ‘Compound Effect’ of heat,
humidity and calm conditions. It is a matter of
great concern to the urban planners, environmentalists, administrators and the citizens of
large million and megacities. The paper finds out
a linear relationship between the city size and the
heat island growth. As Hyderabad has the largest
urban sprawl among the Peninsular Indian cities,
it has also recorded a considerable daytime and
even higher nocturnal transition in the heat island
intensity. Nocturnal urban heat island intensity
has been recorded higher than the daytime effect.
Urban Heat Island prevents the nocturnal radiative cooling which renders it more uncomfortable. The urbanites are unable to get a relaxing
respite during the nights of longer summers. This
condition would adversely affect the health,
working efficiency and per capita productivity of
the middle class inhabitants and industrial–commercial labour, which comprises the majority of
population in the megacities.
Acknowledgements The author acknowledges the DSTINSPIRE for the research fellowship.
References
Goudie A (2006) The human impact on the natural
environment. Blackwell, Australia, pp 208–209
Nabeshima M, Nishioka M, Nakao M (2008) Urban
vegetation effects on the spatial variability of temperature in the city center. Osaka City University, Japan
Oke TR (1978) Boundary layer climates. Methuen,
London, p 257
Oke TR (1997) Urban climates and global environmental
change. In: Thompson RD, Perry A (eds) Applied
climatology: principles & practices. Routledge, New
York, NY, pp 273–287
Smithson P, Addison K, Atkinson K (2008) Fundamentals of the physical environment. Routledge, Canada,
pp 161–163
Stone B (2006) Urban and rural temperature trends in
proximity to large U.S. cities: 1951-2000. Int J
Climatol. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1555
5 Urban Heat Island Growth and Health Hazard …
51
of vehicles recorded a 113% growth from
1,091,734 road vehicles in 2001 to 2,326,028
vehicles in 2011.
In the megacity of Hyderabad, urban heat
island growth has been estimated in view of the
corresponding urban expansion and population
growth during 1961–2011. The city of Hyderabad had a sporadic growth in isolated nuclei. It
has not been a contiguous and compact city. This
may be due to the rocky and hilly topographic
constraints. The corresponding population
growth recorded a total growth of 6.62 million
people. In 1961, the population density of
Hyderabad was 6,270 persons per sq.km. By the
year 2011, the average population density of
Hyderabad grew to 9,106 persons per sq.km.
This could perhaps be attributed to the absence of
any labour intensive industry worth the name in
Hyderabad. The vast and spacious growth of
modern Hyderabad could be seen in relation to
the burgeoning service sector and the software
industries with lots of infrastructural growth and
large commercial area extent.
5.5 Conclusion
The problem of urban heat island is more critical
in the already hot and longer summer tropics.
Urban heat island is not a problem of temperature
alone. It is a ‘Compound Effect’ of heat,
humidity and calm conditions. It is a matter of
great concern to the urban planners, environmentalists, administrators and the citizens of
large million and megacities. The paper finds out
a linear relationship between the city size and the
heat island growth. As Hyderabad has the largest
urban sprawl among the Peninsular Indian cities,
it has also recorded a considerable daytime and
even higher nocturnal transition in the heat island
intensity. Nocturnal urban heat island intensity
has been recorded higher than the daytime effect.
Urban Heat Island prevents the nocturnal radiative cooling which renders it more uncomfortable. The urbanites are unable to get a relaxing
respite during the nights of longer summers. This
condition would adversely affect the health,
working efficiency and per capita productivity of
the middle class inhabitants and industrial–commercial labour, which comprises the majority of
population in the megacities.
Acknowledgements The author acknowledges the DSTINSPIRE for the research fellowship.
References
Goudie A (2006) The human impact on the natural
environment. Blackwell, Australia, pp 208–209
Nabeshima M, Nishioka M, Nakao M (2008) Urban
vegetation effects on the spatial variability of temperature in the city center. Osaka City University, Japan
Oke TR (1978) Boundary layer climates. Methuen,
London, p 257
Oke TR (1997) Urban climates and global environmental
change. In: Thompson RD, Perry A (eds) Applied
climatology: principles & practices. Routledge, New
York, NY, pp 273–287
Smithson P, Addison K, Atkinson K (2008) Fundamentals of the physical environment. Routledge, Canada,
pp 161–163
Stone B (2006) Urban and rural temperature trends in
proximity to large U.S. cities: 1951-2000. Int J
Climatol. https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.1555
5 Urban Heat Island Growth and Health Hazard …
51