The World Population Day is an annual event, observed on July 11, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme in 1989. It was inspired on the Five Billion Day on July 11, 1987, the date on which the world's population reached five billion people.
Odisha accounts for 3.47 per cent of the total population of the country. The population of Odisha according to the 2011 census stands at about 41 million. In 2011 census, the proportion of population living in urban areas in the State is 16.68 per cent compared to 31 per cent for the country. Prior to 1951, there were only 39 urban centers in Odisha, which have grown up to138 in 2001 and 223 in 2011.
As per the 2011 census, the population of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation is 8.44 lakh and covers an area of 135 sqkm. The decadal growth rate of the city is 30.2 per cent indicating that Bhubaneswar is growing very fast. Neighbouring towns like Cuttack, Khurdha, Jatni and Pipili are likely to merge in the future to constitute a regional urban cluster. Over the years, Bhubaneswar witnessed rapid urban development and land use change due to population growth. There are loss of agriculture land, vegetative cover along with increasing levels of air pollution, suspended particulate matter and emission of greenhouse gases. Owing to rapid urbanisation, changes in land use have translated to a massive decrease of dense vegetation in the city.
According to a research carried out by faculties from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bhubaneswar, rapid urbanisation combined with changes in land use pattern has led to about 1.8 degree Celsius warming of Bhubaneswar, compared with surrounding non-urban areas, leading to an urban heat island (UHI) effect.
Changes in land use of any specific land parcel and their respective vegetation cover and population density lead to UHI in urban areas. There is a need to frame a strategic mitigation plan with respect to land use classes and population density distribution within urban areas to avoid further formation of UHI and achieve urban sustenance.
A master plan of a city and surrounding areas is usually the guiding force for urbanisation. In context of Odisha, it is the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), the statutory document for guiding the process of urbanisation of larger urban areas. This is prepared and notified under the provisions of the Orissa Development Authorities Act, 1982. The CDP creates a long term vision for development of a city and peripheral areas and provides frame work for organised urban development, keeping in view the future population. The ODA Act, 1982 provides for re-development of the existing developed areas. The CDP for various cities has been approved and notified. It has envisaged large scale investment for implementation of various urban housing and infrastructure projects such as low cost housing, slum redevelopment, storm water drainage, sewerage, water supply, roads, open space development etc. Besides, the process of urbanisation requires vacant lands, both Government and private, to be developed for the purpose of urban development through the process of land assembly and planning. The process should be equitable, effective, efficient and time bound. In absence of policy tools like Transferable Development Rights (TDRs), land pooling mechanisms etc., optimum results cannot be achieved.
Proper planning of land and its resources allows for rational and sustainable use of land catering to various needs, including social, economic, developmental and environmental needs. However, the current land use planning is inadequate and does not cover all the levels of local, regional as well as State needs. The Constitution (Seventy-fourth Amendment) Act, 1992 provides for District Planning and Metropolitan Area Planning that consolidates plans of both panchayats and municipalities having regard to spatial (land use) planning.
There shall be constituted in every State at the district level a District Planning Committee to consolidate the plans prepared by the panchayats and the municipalities in the district and to prepare a draft development plan for the district as a whole. If no immediate actions are taken, the unplanned and haphazard development has potential to cause adverse impacts, including land use conflicts with adjoining land uses, particularly with agricultural areas, rural uses, natural resource areas and environmentally sensitive and fragile ecosystem, as well as of losses of productive land and ecosystem services.
There is a need for appropriate land utilisation and management strategy and land use planning to cater to the growing urbanisation needs. There is scope for re-densification of urban areas by augmenting the existing infrastructure. Proper institutional mechanism can achieve the vision set out in the CDP of respective authorities. Successful CDP implementation will require coordination between land allotment, management, planning and development activities.
Well planned cities can accommodate growing population and control climate change effect. City planners are able to successfully implement plans if they can develop programmes that meet the present and future needs of different segments of the population. Planners also study the present and future composition of the population and its spatial distribution to identify the best locations to provide services to meet the needs of the people. Hence, the population forecast is a fundamental step in the periodic update process for planning and decision making process. City planners can project the future population and prepare development plan of a city for future.
(Dr Praharaj is a faculty member of the Department of Architecture, College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar)