As north India reels under a heatwave with temperatures crossing well over 40 degrees Celsius, there is one city that with no respite from the extreme weather — Banda in Uttar Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region. Termed the ‘world’s hottest city’, Banda has consecutively topped the list, with mercury here reaching as high as 48.2 on the Centigrade scale.But it is not just the weather that heats Banda. As per scientists and environmentalists, the heat here has also catapulted various ecological reasons — environmental damage, deforestation, reducing water bodies, mining along the Ken river, and changes in land-use pattern in Banda and its surroundings.The many challengesBanda’s topology plays a major role in increasing the temperature. The region has widespread open land, rocky terrain and exposed agricultural land, paired with less green cover.Rajneesh Sareen, director, sustainable building and habitat programme, Centre for Science and Environment, said the land cover pattern was a major factor behind the extreme temperatures in Banda.“After harvesting, much of the land remains exposed in Banda and starts behaving like a heat centre,” Sareen said, adding that dried riverbeds and reduced water flow also intensify the problem.Such terrains absorb more heat, and — combined with the mining zones, brick kilns and heavy machinery in the area — turn Banda region into what many experts describe as a “man-made heat centre”.Sareen adds, “Banda is one such location, where the rise in temperature has more contribution from land cover than from urban morphology or anthropogenic contributors.”Story continues below this adBundelkhand-based climate activist Sanjay Singh said the region’s proximity to the Tropic of Cancer naturally makes it warm, but the gradual loss of ponds, forests and hills has aggravated the condition over the years.“Banda earlier had several ponds, hills and green cover that helped regulate temperatures naturally. Over the years, many water bodies have disappeared and large-scale mining around the Ken river region has affected the local ecosystem,” Singh said.He, too, emphasised that Banda’s plateau-like terrain retains heat for longer periods.Explaining the meteorological conditions behind the sharp rise in temperature, IMD scientist Atul Kumar Singh said there is currently no active weather system over southern Uttar Pradesh. “Due to this, intense daytime radiative heating is taking place,” Singh said, adding that an anticyclonic circulation over central India is trapping warm air over the region.Story continues below this adOver the last two weeks, Banda has repeatedly featured among the hottest places in India and across the world, with temperatures consistently remaining between 45°C and 48.2°C during the ongoing heatwave spell.Heat advisoriesMeanwhile, the government has issued heatwave advisories in the region.Banda District Magistrate Amit Aasery said the administration has been monitoring heat related complaints, water supply and field-level arrangements daily. “Instructions have been issued to ensure that labourers are not made to work during peak afternoon hours and shade arrangements are being made for them,” Aasery said, adding that residents have been advised to avoid stepping out between 11 am and 4 pm and remain hydrated.But Sareen pointed towards the social and economic dimensions of the crisis, saying advisories alone are often not enough in regions dependent on extensive outdoor labour.Story continues below this ad“Even during heatwave warnings, many agricultural workers and labourers are forced to continue working because of economic conditions. Work hours may be staggered, but people still have to step out,” he said.— The writer is an intern at Lucknow office of The Indian Express