Key stretches in Gudiyatham town near Vellore have got large nylon net ‘pandals’ along entire carriageway to provide much needed shade for road users, mainly walkers, to go to public utilities like government hospitals, markets, bus terminus and banks and protect themselves from scorching heat.
Arid towns like Vellore, Gudiyatham, Pernambut, Sholinghur, Ambur and Walajah have been experiencing daily temperatures of around 40 degree celcius since early April. Most of these towns are along the Palar river, which is completely dry.
Extreme heat has also turned many small waterbodies like ponds and streams bone-dry in these areas. “We never witnessed such extreme heat for the past few years. Heat waves have become common during summer now,” said V.G. Soundararajan, a tailor.
