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Subsurface Urban Heat Islands (Below-Ground Warming): A Comprehensive Scientific Review of the Hidden Thermal Transformation Beneath Cities

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Cities are commonly recognized as warmer than their surrounding rural landscapes. This phenomenon, known as the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, has traditionally been studied through elevated air temperatures, overheated roads, and heat-retaining buildings. Yet this familiar picture captures only the visible portion of a much larger thermal system. Beneath streets, towers, transport corridors, utility networks, and groundwater aquifers, another form of urban warming is developing, slower, less visible, but potentially more persistent. This phenomenon is known as the Subsurface Urban Heat Island (SSUHI) . Subsurface urban warming refers to the increase in temperature of soils, sediments, bedrock, groundwater, basements, tunnels, and buried infrastructure beneath urbanized areas relative to surrounding non-urban land. Unlike atmospheric warming, which changes rapidly with weather and season, subsurface warming evolves gradually because soil and rock store heat efficiently. Once heat en...
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When Vishu Seeds Failed: Cherthala’s Crop Crisis and the Larger Battle for Seed Sovereignty

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In Kerala, agriculture has never been separate from culture. Fields, harvests, festivals, and food traditions have long shaped the rhythm of social life. Crops are not merely grown for sale; many carry symbolic meaning and occupy an emotional place in households and communities. This connection becomes especially visible during Vishu , the Malayalam New Year, celebrated as a festival of renewal, abundance, and hope. On Vishu morning, families traditionally wake to behold the Vishu Kani , a carefully arranged display of auspicious objects believed to influence the year ahead. Lamps, rice, flowers, coins, fruits, mirrors, and sacred items are placed together in a scene of prosperity. Among them, one agricultural product holds a distinct and cherished place: the Kani Vellari , the yellow cucumber. For generations, this golden cucumber has symbolized a rich harvest and financial well-being. Its bright colour evokes abundance, making it an essential part of Vishu tradition. In farming bel...
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Location: India
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India’s Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR): A Milestone in Nuclear Energy Development

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               I n 2026, India reached a major milestone in its nuclear energy journey with the successful achievement of criticality in the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam . While this may appear, at first glance, as another scientific advancement, it is in reality the culmination of decades of planning, experimentation, setbacks, and technological breakthroughs. This achievement represents not only a technical success but also a strategic transformation in India’s approach to energy security, sustainability, and global technological positioning. Nuclear Energy At the core of nuclear energy lies the atom, specifically the nucleus of heavy elements such as uranium. Nuclear fission occurs when a neutron collides with a uranium nucleus, causing it to split into two smaller nuclei. This process releases a large amount of energy along with additional neutrons, which further sustain a chain reaction by triggering additional fis...
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Location: India
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Rethinking Deathcare: Environmental Dimensions of Traditional Burial and Cremation, Modern Cremation Technologies, and Water-Based Alternatives

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               D eathcare practices, though deeply rooted in cultural and spiritual traditions, are increasingly being examined through the lens of environmental sustainability. In the face of climate change, rapid urbanization, and growing pressure on natural resources, even the final rites of human life are no longer environmentally neutral. Traditional burial and wood-based cremation, long considered normative, are now recognized as processes with measurable ecological and public health consequences. At the same time, modern cremation technologies, including electric systems, LPG-based cremation, and portable cremation units, and emerging alternatives such as water cremation, are reshaping how societies approach the management of human remains. Burial Practices: Land Use Constraints, Coastal Challenges, Urban Heat Effects, and Public Health Concerns Burial introduces long-term environmental challenges primarily through land utilization. E...
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Location: India
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