The Thane Municipal Corporation has begun installing green shade net covers at key traffic junctions where signal wait times exceed one minute.
The initiative, part of the city’s Heat Action Plan, is a step towards making public spaces safer and more bearable for road users—particularly two-wheeler riders, pedestrians, and traffic personnel—during peak summer hours. The action plan is being implemented in partnership with a national environmental policy think tank and the state government, with the aim of introducing adaptive urban cooling measures in rapidly urbanising areas. Officials confirmed that six high-footfall junctions, including Teen Hath Naka and Khopat, have already been equipped with the netted covers. The civic body now plans to expand the intervention to all junctions within city limits that experience prolonged vehicle stoppages and pedestrian footfall.
According to senior officials involved in the planning process, the decision was driven by the alarming increase in surface and ambient temperatures across Thane, a city that has witnessed rapid construction, vehicular growth, and the consequent erosion of natural shade over the years. These traffic signal zones often become hotspots, with temperatures soaring several degrees higher due to vehicular emissions, lack of tree cover, and radiant heat from concrete surfaces. Experts advising the civic body have also recommended the installation of drinking water fountains and shaded rest areas at 25 strategically identified locations. These would serve as micro-oases in an increasingly asphalt-heavy urban scape, supporting not only human comfort but also promoting inclusive access to public infrastructure.
However, the rollout of these interventions has drawn both praise and critique. While residents and commuters welcome the cooling measures, several environmentalists have raised concerns about what they term as a reactive approach to climate adaptation. They argue that while temporary shade covers offer relief, they do not compensate for the long-term neglect of Thane’s green cover. Activists allege that over the past five years, more than 5,000 trees have been lost or severely damaged—largely due to civic infrastructure and road development projects. These losses, they say, were often justified under vague or unpublished permissions granted for tree cutting or transplantation. A growing sentiment among citizen groups is that the municipality has functioned more as a clearing house for felling permissions than as a steward of urban ecology.
Urban greening experts argue that tree protection is not only vital for shade and biodiversity but also serves as a cost-effective and passive cooling solution for cities facing rising heat stress. The absence of proper root-zone protection during road works, they note, has led to a weakening of tree stability, making them prone to collapse during storms—a problem that has been observed repeatedly during the monsoon season. The criticism also centres on a lack of transparency. Despite public pressure, the civic body has not routinely published data on the permissions granted for trimming, cutting, or relocating trees. This lack of accountability has made it difficult for citizen watchdog groups to monitor urban deforestation, especially in areas undergoing redevelopment or large-scale public works.
While shade covers and rest kiosks provide immediate relief, urban planning experts insist that cities like Thane need to move beyond patchwork solutions and adopt a holistic heat resilience framework. This includes revisiting zoning norms, enforcing green building codes, integrating tree canopy strategies into transportation design, and institutionalising community-led urban forestry programmes. In the larger context of climate change, rising urban heat islands, and air quality concerns, Thane’s attempt to retrofit shade at choke points is seen as an essential but insufficient measure. The question remains whether such interventions will evolve into a comprehensive policy shift or remain a symbolic gesture in the absence of deeper ecological reforms.
As climate extremes become the new normal, city administrations are under pressure to balance infrastructure demands with environmental preservation. Thane’s approach will be closely watched—not just for its immediate impact, but for its willingness to invest in long-term sustainability rooted in ecological integrity and civic accountability.
Thane Installs Green Shade Covers at Junctions
