Bengaluru: Once known as India’s “Garden City,” Bengaluru is now confronting an ecological tipping point as decades of rapid, unplanned urbanisation have slashed its green cover from nearly 70% in the 1970s to under 7% today.

New analysis shows that this drastic loss has intensified the city’s Urban Heat Island effect, with neighbourhoods such as Marathahalli, Koramangala, KR Puram and Hebbal recording surface temperatures 2–5°C higher than older, tree-rich areas.

The findings, presented in a policy review on tree-felling regulations and climate planning, reveal significant gaps in governance, coordination and environmental planning across the city.

At the heart of Bengaluru’s ecological challenge lies a structural flaw: trees are considered only after road designs, metro alignments or

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