The settlement may be viewed as the manifestation of delicate human-nature interaction and cultural impression of humanity in the landscape system. With the progress of civilisation, the perception of use of natural resources and cultural development become ever-changing phenomena that causes the changes in the rural settlement all over the world. Salanpur C.D. Block of Paschim Bardhhaman district has registered an unusual settlement arrangement and spatiotemporal changes. Using satellite imageries and competent GIS technologies it is observed that an unplanned growth of rural settlement has developed in this part of West Bengal. This paper examines the spatio-temporal dynamics of the rural settlement over ten years (2008-2018), employing PR index, and SI index. In doing so, it, analyses the dynamic change of rural settlement at Gram Panchayat Level and its relation with overall land-use in the study area. This paper also envisages how the rural settlement expansion affects the various dimension of food security in Salanpur C. D. Block. Along with this, the Spearman Rank-order Correlation Coefficient (rho=p) is also applied to comprehend the effect of the rural settlement expansion on regional food security. Growth of rural settlement towards productive agricultural land, unequal access to food, insufficiency in clean water, sanitation, and health care facility are also indicators of increasing threat to the long run food security of the people in the study area. The result shows a positive correlation between the rural settlement expansion index (SI) and food insecurity Index (FISI), it indicating that if the rural settlements expand, it would enhance the risk of food insecurity of the area. Development and growth are the buzz of the modern era, but the dark side of it is that destruction of agricultural lands would be ultimately responsible for food insecurity and uneven economic growth. The findings suggest that lopsided and unplanned growth of settlements is pose threats on food security of the study area. Therefore, sound planning is required to come out of these potential threats for the sake of the inhabitants.

Vector control is a major issue mainly in this time when resistance to chemical insecticides leads to a greater problem. For an alternative measure novel botanical sources can be used as a good insecticide with less toxic hazards to the environment and public health. The present study estimated larvicidal activities of the crude and solvent extracts of Ravenala madagasariensis against the filarial vector Culex quinquefasciatus under laboratory conditions. Crude extracts of R. madagasariensis mature leaves were examined for larvicidal activity against all the larval instars (1 st to 4 th ) of Cx. quinquefasciatus. Solvent extraction was carried out using three different solvents viz. petroleum ether, chloroform: methanol (1:1 v/v) and absolute alcohol. Dose dependent mortality assays were performed using the bioactive fractions of the solvent extracts. Further, determinations of LC 50 and LC 90 values were accomplished through log-probit analyses and regression analyses. The larvicidal activity of R. madagasariensis leaves were statistically justified through ANOVA analyses. Effects of the bio-active portions were examined on a non-target water fauna. After 72 h of exposure 78.67% mortality of 1 st instars larvae was recorded at 0.5% concentration of crude extract. 150 ppm concentration of solvent extract showed 100% mortality against 1 st instars larvae after 72 h of exposure. 200 ppm concentration was responsible for 100% mortality of 2 nd instars larvae in 72 h. 250 ppm concentration showed significant mortality against 3 rd and 4 th instars larvae.Chironomus circumdatus larvae, non target organism, exhibited no significant mortality. This experimental study was an initiative to ascertain R. madagasariensis as a novel resource of target specific larvicide against Cx. quinquefasciatus larvae.

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