Bhubaneswar, July 03: Every summer Titilagarh town in Orissa's Balangir district stews in blistering heat and people have wondered what causes this sub-divisional town to be so hot. Now, an expert team seems to have the answer. It says that granite rock hills, scarce water sources and virtually no green cover are the causes behind the blistering heat that it experiences.

Titilagarh is surrounded by a dozen bald hills which radiate heat. These hills are further encircled by 11 taller hills, state forest minister, Bijoyshree Routray, who led the team to the town and neighbouring areas, said here.
The hills blocked the passage of free air and the heat gets trapped, Routray, who submitted the team's report to the chief minister, Naveen Patnaik, today, said.

The little known town, hit with drought and poverty, was in the news recently as it registered an unbelievable 50.1 degrees celsius temperature on June 5 last. The mercury hovered between 46 degrees celsius and 49 degrees celsius in the town for over a month.

The area, Routray said, had virtually no water sources except a stream known as Jamunajor and negligible tree cover. Several brick kilns surrounding the town further accentuated the problem.

Bureau Report