Bhopal: A stark new study has sounded the alarm on surging âcompound dry-hot eventsâ (CDHEs) battering Indiaâs âSmart Citiesâ, including Indore, Gwalior, Raipur and Lucknow, exposing urban hubs to crippling water shortages, scorching heat, and crumbling resilience in the absence of adequate measures. Researchers from IISER Bhopal and MANIT Bhopal pored over 60 years of data (1958-2023) across 100 Smart Cities, uncovering a grim trend: Northern India, the Himalayas, and Western India face the fiercest climate onslaught. The study was recently published in international journal Urban Climate. Cities like Indore, Gwalior, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Ranchi, Warangal, Vishakhapatnam, Thiruvananthapuram, Kota, Jammu, Patna, Ludhiana, Rajkot and Raipur are among the top vulnerability charts, hammered by relentless heat-drought combos and shaky adaptive capacities. The big reveal? These punishing eventsâonce rare, striking every few yearsânow crash in almost every season. Urban water systems, public health, and infrastructure get no breather, slashing recovery windows to near zero. âClimate extremes are no longer isolated events. Many Indian cities endure repeated dry-hot stress in short bursts, gutting urban sustainability and resilience,â lead researcher IISERâs Prof. Somil Swarnkar told TOI. Prof Vikas Punia and PhD student IISER Bhopal Vaishnavi Sahu were the part of the study along with Prof Swarnkar. The team crafted a âCumulative Vulnerability Index,â blending climate hazards with socio-economic metrics: human capital, environmental health, economic muscle, and quality of life. Standouts like robust education and green spaces emerged as resilience superpowers. Cities boasting strong schools, clean air, and solid infrastructure shrug off shocks better. Conversely, spots plagued by shoddy planning, scant greenery, pollution, and weak economies teeter on the brink. âHuman capital and environmental quality drive urban toughness,â the study notes. Prof. Swarnkar urged action: âBoost environmental quality, urban green belts, education, and smart planning to slash future risks.â The findings jolted Indiaâs Smart Cities Mission