An assessment of urban sprawl using GIS and remote sensing techniques: a case study of Pune-Pimpri-Chinchwad area

Abstract

The thesis includes the findings and results of Urban Sprawl and Utility services, carried out in the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchavad, Pune district in Maharashtra. Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad area lies between 18o 25’ to 18o 42’ North latitude and 73o 42’ to 73o 57’ East longitude. The study area covers 414.90 sq. km. Pune (PMC) area covers 243.31 sq. km. composed of 144 general electoral wards according to 2007 which comes under 14 administrative wards of Pune Municipal Corporation. The city is located in saucer shaped basin at an average altitude of 560 m. above mean sea level. The area surrounded by offshoots of Sahyadri hills and extends from west to east. Pune is slightly hollow on the banks of Mula and Mutha Rivers on Deccan plateau. Urban sprawl is defined as the scattering of new development on isolated tracts, separated from other areas by vacant land ((cf), Shekhar, 2005). This result in increase in the built-up area and related changes in the urban landuse patterns, causing loss of productive agricultural lands, forest cover, other forms of greenery, loss in surface water bodies, depletion in ground water aquifers and increasing levels of air and water pollution; causing environmental problems. The process of urbanization is affected by population growth and migration. Infrastructure initiatives result in the growth of villages into towns, towns into cities and cities into metros involving large scale migration from rural to urban area. Sprawl is considered to be an unplanned outgrowth of urban centers along the periphery of cities, along highways and along the roads connecting to a city (Sudhira, et.al, 2003). The PCMC (Pimpri - Chinchawad Municipal Corporation) 94.4 % recorded the highest growth of population according to 2001 Census in Maharashtra, which is the part of Pune Metropolitan region. This is mainly due to the rapid growth in the Information Technology sectoral region. Between 1991 and 2001, the growth has doubled to 62.17 % in Comparison; Pune district has a growth rate of 38.58 %, while the state is experiencing the growth rate of 22.5%. Therefore it is necessary to add the past and present growth trends of these rapidly growing cities, for effective urban management (S. Shekhar, 2005). For healthy and happy living provision of adequate amenities, facilities and public utility services are essential as they enhance efficiency and economic utilization and time. In order to prepare development plan for utility planning of a city, there is a need of good and reliable information regarding location of existing facilities, their accessibility, adequacy and development trends in relation to socio – economic structure of the city. Pimpri-Chinchwad (PCMC) area covers 171.59 sq. km composed of general electoral wards according to 1997 which comes under 4 administrative wards of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.