Integrated approach for environmental imapact assessment study of rapid urban growth using gis and remote sensing

Abstract

newline Cities are magnets for growth of social, economic and political development of the newlinecountry. It has the power for development of large-scale and small scale industries, newlineeducational institutions, administrative offices, public and commercial establishments, newlineetc. In turn it attracts more migration from the rural areas to the urban areas, or shifting newlinefrom one urban center to another urban center. So the population density is getting newlinemagnified in certain pockets of the cities. newlineThe demand for basic amenities increases with increase in population in urban newlinecenters, which includes potable water, proper housing, sewage system, conveyance of men and materials, etc. Many a times, improper management in providing basic newlineamenities has led to the pollution of air, water and land. It has resulted in the damage of newlinehistorical monuments, biological life and aesthetics and it may also cause dimming of newlinevisibility. Therefore, it is necessary for appropriate assessment of impact due to newlinedifferent activities in urban centers on the different components of environment. newlineBangalore, the fifth largest city in India, faces the problem of urban sprawl like newlinemany of the metropolitan cities in the country. The rapid urban growth of Bangalore has newlinewitnessed impact on air, water supply, sanitation, power supply, road network and newlinetransport and management of waste. Air quality has been affected badly. Groundwater newlinedepletion and contamination is being felt in Bangalore city. Rapid urbanization newlineincreases the changes in land use patterns (for example, conversion of wet lands to newlineresidential/industrial layouts). The city is expanding in all dimensions in an exponential newlinemanner during the past three to four decades. The spatial pattern of such changes is newlineclearly noticed in the urban fringes or city peripheral rural areas, than in the city