Deciphering Urbanization and Spatial Disparity in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, India

Abstract

Continuous urban-rural migration between 1991 and 2001 has caused significant land use land cover (LULC) changes around core urban areas in Indian Urban areas. These expansions, through outgrowths and developments in urban-rural fringe areas, significantly impact the environment; therefore, it is essential to monitor LULC changes to promote sustainable urban growth. It is also imperative to identify significant factors driving such LULC changes. This study explores land use changes and transitions occurring in India's South 24 Parganas district, which forms a part of Kolkata Urban Agglomeration (KUA) and surrounds the core city of Kolkata in the East and South. It is the largest district of West Bengal, located in a highly eco-sensitive zone of the country. The rising urbanization in the district makes LULC research important. Using spatiotemporal and network analyses, this study tracks LULC trends in South 24 Parganas from 1991 to 2021. The study examines urban growth in South 24 Parganas from 1991 to 2021, corresponding to major access roads and elevation from the Mean Sea level. The built-up area (BUA) increased by 716.63% between 1991 and 2021, causing a tremendous loss of agricultural and natural ecosystems. Significant urban growth has been observed along the east bank of the Hooghly River near Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) in South 24 Parganas. Over the last 30 years, this transformation has defined the future of urban planning and legislation to promote sustainable growth. The study has found a positive association between urbanization and changes in BUA with land elevation and access through major roads.

Assessment of Land Surface Temperature from the Indian Cities of Ranchi and Dhanbad during COVID-19 Lockdown: Implications on the Urban Climatology

“…South America's urban population grew significantly during this time, surpassing Europe's urban population share by more than 80% [19,20]. India, with approximately 1.4 billion inhabitants, now has 377.1 million, accounting for 36% of the total population, living in urban settlements resulting in extensive changes to its land usage [21].…”