Mapping of Urban growth pockets, Migration Pattern, Slum Locales and Land Use Changes in Kolkata Metropolis: Challenges to Sustainable Development

Kolkata as the primate city of the east depicts uneven urban growth and variation in population density along with rapid encroachment of vacant lands and water bodies in its eastern periphery where largest number of its slum population reside. GIS mapping of urban growth, density, percentage of households living in slums and land use change maps highlight the fact that in Kolkata, slum wards are located in the north eastern periphery and western peripheral parts where urban growth (1991-2001) is very high, but density is low. These areas are experiencing rapid changes in land use pattern and influx of migrants from the neighbouring poverty stricken districts. Encroachment of open spaces and water bodies in east Kolkata has a severe impact on resource management. It not only destroys natural resources but also snatches the livelihood opportunities for those who are earning through fishing and farming. Thus, this paper aims to correlate ‘urban growth’, ‘land use changes’ and distribution of slum locales through GIS mapping. Indicators like lack of access to various assets, formal housing and certain basic services or amenities have been used to identify the wards which can be called as the ‘Hotbeds of Urban Issues’ .