Analyzing land‐use land‐cover change and future urban growth with respect to the location of slaughterhouses in Aligarh city outskirts

Abstract

Slaughterhouses are important spaces that require an optimum place to be located so that they do not pose any harm to the surrounding environment. Historically slaughterhouses were located in the middle of the settlements, however with time, considering the harmful environmental impacts of slaughterhouses, the need for their relocation in the peripheries has been felt. Therefore, the relocation of slaughterhouses started earlier in the developed countries and later in developing countries. In India, the relocation of slaughterhouses in the outskirts has been started in the last few decades. However, in the establishment of slaughterhouses, the common problem is that the sites lack a reasonable time dimension so that they are soon gets encroached by other urban land uses. Eventually, slaughterhouses become subject to relocation earlier than expected. The current study has been conducted in Aligarh, where slaughterhouses are situated in the city outskirts. However, to examine the impact of urban sprawl on the location of slaughterhouses, an attempt has been made to map and quantify the LULC change, find its driving factors as well as identify the suitable sites for future urban growth. The results revealed that land use has changed tremendously over the years with built-up lands swallowing most of the agricultural and vacant lands not only in the periphery but also the lands very close to slaughterhouses. Site suitability analysis for urban growth revealed that most of the areas within a one-kilometer buffer around the slaughterhouses, fall under the category of highly suitable for urban growth. Therefore, it is projected that in the coming years, the expansion of the city will intrude on the areas around slaughterhouses and slaughterhouses will be situated in the heart of settlements. Although the situation of a slaughterhouse near settlements will help in the socio-economic development of local areas but at the same time, it will pose environmental consequences in the form of air, water, land, and noise pollution. The study thus suggests that while planning the location of any industry or utility service in a region, consideration of LULC change and the phenomenon of urban sprawl is obligatory. Government should form proper management strategies to tackle the growing population, LULC changes, and urban sprawl in an area for planned development.