A Descriptive Analysis of Human-Environment Interactions in the Suburban Area of Pune City

Abstract

The Baner-Balewadi was a rural area that transformed into a residential suburb and is now metamorphosing into a commercial and educational hub of Pune city. This area is now a part of Pune Municipal Corporation and is occupied by various schools, universities, and IT companies. The decadal population growth rate of the Baner-Balewadi area is 275%; it is much higher than the Pune district’s and city’s growth rate, which makes it a fascinating area for this study. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in this area covering three major regions: Balewadi Highstreet, Baner-Balewadi road, and NICMAR University. The data for 15 parameters were gathered, a total of 38 survey samples were collected using stratified random sampling, and land use was mapped to understand the grassroots reality. Thereafter, the parameters were analysed using a descriptive statistical technique, and spider mapping was used for data presentation. The strengths and challenges regarding infrastructural services, transportation, socio-economic factors, environment, and land use were identified. The results show that the waste collection is strong, but there are drinking water issues in the area. The recent development is causing stress on the infrastructural services and unregulated land-use change leading to environmental degradation. The metro construction is causing a lot of noise and air pollution, and people will still prefer buses as a transportation medium in the future because of good connectivity. The study is concluded with area-wise parametric recommendations made after examining the advancement, challenges, and gaps identified at the grassroots from both stakeholders’ and experts’ perspectives.