Assessment of land use land cover dynamics and urban growth of Kanksa Block in Paschim Barddhaman District, West Bengal

Abstract

Population dynamics in terms of population growth is experiencing an unremitting increase in the developing countries leading to significant pressure on obtainable land resources in urban locations as well as adjoining rural hinterland. The growth of urban population is one of the most important driving forces of change in urban environment, which ultimately are manifested by the development of suburban growth. Under such backdrop, other land uses like agricultural land and forests at urban fringes are lost their identity as well as converted to the built-up area which reduces different ecosystem services. In order to get better the process knowledge of land use planning, information on present land use patterns and its changes over the certain course of time is indispensable for effective plan formulation in any region. Present inquiry concerns with land use dynamics in close proximity to the Durgapur urban industrial region in Kanksa Community development Block of Paschim Bardhaman District which is a part of a lateritic forested tract as well as experienced with phenomenal population growth in the last 2 decades with a doubling of urban population in 1 decade mainly in the Census towns around the Durgapur industrial complex. The overall objective of this study is to understand the land use land cover change in Kanksa Block and its spatiotemporal aspects with special emphasis on urban growth. Increase in urban area is massive in first 10 years in comparison to rest of the 10 years in cost of other land uses. This will help to recognize the conversion of land use that has mostly been affected by this massive urban growth, physical and temporal pattern of urban growth and finally to establish the interrelationship between this landuse land cover change and population dynamics. The use of Geographical Information system would also identify the most critical zone for future landuse planning for better sustainability.