Abstract
Urban sprawl refers to the extent of urbanization, which is a global phenomenon highly trending because of population growth and large scale migration. In a developing country
like India , where the population is increasing day by day , urban sprawl is taking its toll on the natural resources at an alarming pace. So also unprecedented development, long traffic jams and overpopulated crowded cities also force the people to sprawl from one place to another . The study also attempts to study the region in Karnataka where urban sprawl is prevalent .The basic objective behind this study is how to curb the problem and bring out effective solution , rather fruitful techniques to meet the changing circumstances. This paper brings out the causes and effects of urban sprawl and also various eco-friendly measures. The study also attempts to bring out the minute problems because of which the sprawl is taking place. It seems to be one of the most potential threats to the environment. The green cover is depleting day by day because of the demand of good infrastructural development over rural land. The study also tells how it affects the wildlife and to what extent this problem is developing day by day, or frankly speaking year by year. The study shows the measures that are really worth curbing it.
Keywords : Urban Sprawl ; Urbanization ; Eco-friendly measures ; Green cover ; Infrastructural development ; Potential threat ; Wildlife .
Introduction
Imagine a society full of luxurious apartments, having all world class facilities with effective costs. It seems as if we are dreaming of a castle where the means of aristocratic living have been provided to you beforehand and generations after generations will spend a lustful life. Putting a full stop to all your curiosities, let me introduce you to a concept which is highly trending in almost all parts of the country and this practice has been seen in India from time immemorial. This concept has been described as “Urban Sprawl” or if we talk in layman terms, it is known as urbanization .
Meaning of Urban Sprawl
Urban sprawl refers to the migration of a population from populated towns and cities to low residential development on undeveloped land over more and more rural land. It has been defined as low residential and commercial development.
Urban sprawl refers to the advent of urbanization on a rural land .
This is generally an age –old concept and is often compared with the term migration. Though they sound the same terms, but there lies a larger difference between the two. Migration means movement of people from one place to another for the purpose of taking up permanent or semi- permanent residence while urban sprawl refers to the migration of a population from populated towns and cities to low residential development for the lust of a luxurious life. It seems very much fascinating to have a good life but has too much drawbacks also. This is a universal phenomenon which has come so much in light because of increase in population growth and various other factors are also responsible for the advent of urbanization.
Causes of Urban Sprawl
There are lots of causes of urban sprawl or rather in layman terms, urbanization. It is one such phenomenon that drives the change in land use patterns. It normally takes place along the highways, at the edge of an urban area along the highways or where there is undeveloped land. Let us ponder upon its causes:-
Lower land rates
As the land is an undeveloped land on which various infrastructural development would take place, so the land rate is pretty cheap and easy for the pocket of the investors to purchase the land. It becomes beneficial for those who want to live a stress free life and also to provide it to their family members to give them a comfortable life making them feel at ease. Also from point of view of people having low income, it becomes easy for them to invest money into such high quality infrastructural development.
Improved Infrastructure
Apart from low land rates , they also get to avail the benefit of good infrastructure i.e. , they get well furnished homes with all the equipments attached at the duration of the construction period and when the house is complete , it is ready to be sold out. The customers get the benefit such that they get the house well furnished as directed by them to the interior decorator. It also lessens the burden of money payment to different people for a good house.
Rise in Standard of living
As the people live in a well furnished house, they spend in a lavish way to avail all the benefits of a luxurious life and this brings a great rise in the standard of living. Urbanization gives way for the construction of elite class society where people could make way to a good standard of living; away from the hooch – pooch crowd of the overpopulated cities. As their source of income increases, so high becomes their standard.
Lack of Urban Planning
As because of increasing population and the demand for more and more furnished homes , people prefer to live in such homes with less traffic and a cool and calm atmosphere. People love to live far away from the crowd and enjoy all the amenities. So also cutting of trees, poor infrastructure, heavily congested roadways, unprecedented development and loss of green cover also forces the people to move to more comfortable areas for their peaceful and healthy livelihood.
Lower House Tax Rates
As the houses are developed and constructed on an undeveloped rural land, so as the land rates were less at the time of purchasing it , so are the rates of the houses less . As the amount is less, so ultimately it would result in lower tax rates for such houses. People are usually in search of those area houses where they do not have to spend much on housing tax.
Rise in population growth
Constant growth in the population rate and their increasing demands for luxurious lifestyle and the lust for a quality living also tends a particular section of population to shift to a less populated area, so that they can settle there and can get saved from the highly overpopulated cities. Population growth has become a major reason for the sprawl especially in foreign countries. People sprawl from India to foreign countries and often face the problem on a large scale.
Consumer preferences
People of higher income groups often tend to find homes in such places where they could get the best infrastructural development, bigger rooms, bigger balconies and much more. So also, as they have the capacity of spending more, they prefer to shift to such places where they could enjoy their livelihood instead of living in the congested flats having very small rooms making them feel very uncomfortable. Highly congested buildings and less parking spaces force the people to shift to certain places for living peaceful and comfortable life.
Effects of Urban Sprawl
Now that we have taken a closer look upon the causes of sprawl, so let us also ponder upon its effects too.
Increase in Public Expenditure :
As people sprawl from one place to another for the quest of their comfortable livelihood solutions, so also the cost increases. Changes in infrastructure and building techniques must be actually paid for by someone and it is usually the tax payers that pay money for it. These types of infrastructural development activities give increment to the tax payers of the economy. They have to pay more tax than stipulated.
Increased Traffic :
As people shift to good society for a comfortable life, so as all people desire to spend life peacefully, therefore a lot of people of the same sort gather at the same place. As they gather at that particular locality, so the crowd increases. As they have sprawled from overcrowded cities, they get ample amount of space for parking to keep their cars for travelling for even meager distances, thus leading to an increased amount of traffic.
Health issues :
Apart from the increased amount of traffic because of the sprawl of people from one place to another, so also lot of health issues have come to light. One of the major health issues witnessed because of this is obesity. People are habitual of using cars for even petty distances which is taking a heavy toll on their health meter. People just eat and sit and do not give exercise to their body which could prove highly beneficial for churning process of food in stomach. If this thing continues, it can give birth to many health problems in the long run.
Environmental Issues :
After having taken a look over the various devastating health problems, several environmental problems can also be simultaneously be taken into consideration. One of the major environmental issues arising because of this is loss of green cover. Green cover is depleting day by day because of the lot of construction activities. Loss of green cover is the ultimate loss to the amount of oxygen we get from trees. So also it affects the fauna species whose life is dependent entirely on the green plants that is the precious gift of nature to animals and to all the more, the mankind.
Impact on Social Lives :
One of the most important drawbacks behind this concept is the ultimate impact on the social lives of people. People shift to far off places away from the crowd of overpopulated cities, leaving behind the social life that they enjoyed earlier. The kind of neighbors they had earlier perhaps could not be found in the crowd of lusty life demanding public. The kind of security, they had there, seems to be changed into a larger amount of insecurity in their minds. Thus, the thought of living peacefully has come to a standstill, as it is rightly stated, where there is no security; peace cannot sustain.
One of the most important drawbacks behind this concept is the ultimate impact on the social lives of people. People shift to far off places away from the crowd of overpopulated cities, leaving behind the social life that they enjoyed earlier. The kind of neighbors they had earlier perhaps could not be found in the crowd of lusty life demanding public. The kind of security, they had there, seems to be changed into a larger amount of insecurity in their minds. Thus, the thought of living peacefully has come to a standstill, as it is rightly stated, where there is no security; peace cannot sustain.
Measures to curb urban sprawl
Spreading awareness
One of the simplest solutions which can be suggested is just to spread awareness of the growing problem. Send e-mails to the people, put it on the billboards, advertise it in the newspapers to raise awareness among the mob, also through attractive posters; perhaps it would be the first step putting an end to urban sprawl.
Plantation campaign
Another most effective measure towards solving this highly developing problem is the plantation of trees in that particular area. Lot of the construction work takes place on that undeveloped land instead we can plant trees and turn the undeveloped land into a developed land. Lots of trees are planted to promote forestation thus increasing the green cover in the environment. So also it would help in the preservation of wildlife and would also save the animals from getting extinct, which has been witnessed as the most developing problem in the world of 21st century.
Preservation of Wildlife :
As the green cover increases in the environment, so it leads to the preservation of wildlife and the conservation of ecological balance in the atmosphere. As the herbivores are entirely dependent on the plants for their survival, similarly the carnivores are interdependent on the herbivores. As the plants eating animals do not find plants for satisfying their appetite, their survival becomes difficult; thus leading to their extinction and their loss entirely affects the carnivores. Therefore increase in the green cover helps in the preservation of wildlife and helps in maintaining the ecological balance, thus by not disturbing the food chain which is very essential for survival.
Population control
The major problem of urban sprawl is the increasing population in the recent years. Population of a country increases because people migrate from one place to another in search of good educational institute, high salaried jobs and much more. Population growth can be controlled by providing good jobs at those places where they reside and also good educational institutions need to be set up to curb the increasing population growth in a particular city . Less population would help the people to survive in healthy conditions and would remain fit and strong because of suitable environment.
Ensure birth control
Another important measure to be taken into consideration is to ensure birth control. It is also an effective measure to curb the population growth mechanism. As the population increases, people move to different places, therefore new developments take place to suit their needs. Likewise, so many new developments take place, paying a huge price at the stake of polluting the environment. Traffic jams, lot of pollution, and many health issues arise because of the increasing population. So it is one of the most effective measures to curb urban sprawl.
Use of new Technology
Usage of new technology is also an effective measure to this grievous problem. As people get jobs, they shift to nearby places where they have to travel less. But as the medium of travelling is car only, as they are getting huge salaries, it is contributing to a huge amount of pollution. So the employees should be introduced to new technology, so that they would not shift to nearby places and could carry on their work from home itself.
Eco friendly measures
One of the best and the most effective measures to curb urban sprawl is the use of eco-friendly techniques. Instead of using car for travelling to petty distances, one should use bicycle as it would save the fuel and also contribute to lesser pollution. Also you can walk for shorter distances as it will be the best exercise for your body and keep you healthy and fit.
Conclusion
With the population of India increasing day by day, the pressures on land and resources are also increasing. The urban sprawl is seen as one of the potential threats to sustainable development where urban planning with effective resource utilization and allocation of infrastructure initiatives are key concerns. The study was carried out in Mangalore, Udupi highway using the techniques of remote sensing to identify the sprawl. The causes and effects of the sprawl also throw light on this increasing problem. Effective eco friendly measures would prove beneficial to curb this grievous problem. People should change their lifestyle in order to reduce the increasing pollution and should adopt a healthy lifestyle which would be greater step towards sustainable development. The government should take steps and come up with effective solution, and then only we could dream of pollution free environment which would help our future generation to survive properly.
REFERENCES :
Page No. 31-32 of International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation 5 (2004).
www.weekly.com
www.conserve-energy-future.com
http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/urban sprawl
NAME : KOMAL NAGARKAR
PROFESSION : ADVOCATE
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