Modeling Urban Growth in Indian Situation -A Case Study of Bhubaneswar City

Increasing Urbanization and Industrialization is resulting in accelerating the growth of existing urban centers and causing faster rate of spatial Sprawl. Because of Sprawl of Urban centers, the increase of Population in hazardous areas and large-scale land conversion are matters growing concern. In particular urbanization in developing countries has produced large concentration of urban squatters and irregular developments which are settled in marginal locations and hazardous areas, exposed to periodic and seasonal flooding, prone to health hazards and other related problems. Bhubaneswar city is also experiencing similar problems, because the sites with their physical shortcomings (narrow valleys, low-lying areas and stream banks etc.) have been urbanized. The present study deals with Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Orissa which was planned in the year 1954 to shift the then capital of Orissa from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar. From the year 1954, the process of spatial growth of Bhubaneswar city was slow but gradually the city has emerged as one of the fastest growing city of the country.. In this study attempts has been made to develop a methodology focusing on monitoring of urban growth based on remotely sensed data and GIS. The study also attempts to highlight the pattern of rapid expansion and nature of growth of Bhubaneswar.