India swelters: Green sheets set up at Puducherry, Bhubaneswar traffic signals to combat rising temperatures

With temperatures soaring around the country and monsoons making Indians wait like forlorn lovers, it becomes excruitating if daily commuters have to stop directly under the scorching sun at a traffic signal.

With this in mind, Puducherry's Public Works Department has decided to install canopies using green cloth for a certain stretch of the road at traffic signals. This can go a long way in helping commuters cool off as they wait for the signal to turn green.

A post by an X account called Indian Tech & Infra was the first to bring this initiative to the attention of social media users, following which praises have been pouring in for the Puducherry PWD.

In reply to the same, an X user posted pictures of a similar initiative undertaken in Bhubaneswar as well.

One user wrote on X, "What a wonderful initiative by the Pondicherry Public Works Department! Erecting a shaded structure at a busy traffic crossing is a simple yet impactful way to improve the daily lives of local residents and commuters. In the sweltering heat, having a place to find respite from the sun's relentless rays can make a big difference, both in terms of physical comfort and overall well-being."

Another said, “Takes me 6 years back. Oh yes, I remember the PY sun. It was summer. I was starting work in a Cafe, as a Barista. Doing supply runs in this heat, on the same exact road. God knows how much I welcome this move. It’s the small things that count.”

Besides the praises, people on social media also called upon the authorities to plant more trees, which will not only help the commuters, but will lower the temperature as well.

Southern India has recorded its second-highest maximum temperature in 123 years in April, the India Meteorological Department said earlier this week, noting that four out of five maximum temperatures for the peninsula region were registered in the span of the last eight years.

IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said 2016, 2024, 2017, 2019 and 1906 were the years of the highest maximum temperature for the southern region, suggesting a clear increasing trend in maximum temperatures for the region in recent years. No such trend has been seen in other regions.

Amid this heatwave, such small but thoughtful measures go a long way in giving citizens a sigh of relief in the otherwise sweltering heat.

With DHNS inputs