(Final Full Paper)

Trends of Spatio-Temporal Changes and Growth of Kolkata City, India:

Evidences from Geospatial Analysis
Dinabandhu Mahata1, Ambarish Kumar Rai2 & Dr. Pralip Kumar Narzary3
M. Phil. Student 1, PhD Research Scholar 2& Associate Professor 3
International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai – 400088
Email: dinabandhumahata1991@gmail.com, ambarish.k.rai@gmail.com & pralipkn@gmail.com
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only
when, they are created by everybody.”
-Jane Jacobs
The Death and Life of Great American Cities
1. Introduction:
In the present era, the growth of urban centres is a multidimensional spatial and population
process. Cities and urban settlements have considered as centres of population focus owing to
they are specific economic and social features, which produce a vital component in the
development of human societies (Dadras, Shafri, & Ahmad, 2015). Urban development is the
process of emergence of the world dominated by cities and by urban values. To understand
the distinction between the urban growth and urbanisation is crucial, because of the two most
important processes of urban development. The urban growth is a process of spatial and
demographic increment and the importance of towns and cities as a central accumulation of
population within that particular economy and society. It occurs due to the transformation of
the rural population living in primarily hamlet and village to the predominantly town and city
dwelling. While, urbanisation, on the other hand, is a spatial and social process which refers
to the changes in behaviour and social relationships that occur in social dimensions as a result
of people living in towns and cities. Mostly, it refers to the complex change of lifestyles
which follow from the impact of cities on society (Bhatta, Saraswati, & Bandyopadhyay,
2010). Urbanisation is the process and demographic explosion due to the rural-urban
migration, expansion of the government services and Industrial revolution. The evidence of
past two centuries shown the growth and development of the major cities and under these
conditions the spatial influence and the growth of the space. In the most cases, over the
passing of time, the functional structure has changed in rural regions and corresponding to
that the changes come under the pattern of life of dwellers and resultant to that changes in the
formation of new urban areas (Clark, 1982). Historically, urbanisation and rapid growth in
cities first occurred in Western Europe, America, and Japan but has spread in the latter part of
this century throughout Asia, South America, and Africa. Urban growth at the global scale
shows no sign of slowing and is a phenomenon even in nations where population growth has
stabilised (Clark, 2008). In India, rapid urbanisation began to accelerate after independence
due to country divide, mixed economy and rapid growth of private sector. The level of
urbanisation rapidly increased during the year 2001-2011. In 2001, India had 286 million of
the urban population which shares of 28.6 percent of total and in 2011, it raised a level of 377
million of the population that holds the part of 31.18 percent of total and it was the first time
of rapid urbanisation in India since the independence. At the state level, the urbanisation is
very diverse due to the economic advantage, like as southern states including Maharashtra,
Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana and West Bengal have a high level of urbanisation than that of the
national average. In West Bengal, a large number of new town emerged due to the rural-
urban classification 2011.
The port city of Kolkata whose urban growth and land use pattern is a sign of colonial
legacy. According to National Atlas Thematic Mapping Organisation (NATMO), the growth
of Kolkata city has been divided into three-time phases as before 1793, 1793 to 1856 and
after 1856. Letter on, many changes also have been occurred during the independence after
the division of India into Two nations: India and Pakistan. Then East Bengal becomes the
part of the Pakistan as East Pakistan. Letter on, in 1973 the East Pakistan becomes the
independent country like Bangladesh. After the division, the Jute raw material producing
regions become the part of East Pakistan while the Industries remain in Kolkata region of
West Bengal. During the time, Bengal, especially Kolkata region were very well known for
their jute industries, and it was the reason, most of the migration from surrounding regions
and states have seen into Kolkata for the search of employment. This industrial development
needs a kind of specific age-sex population for particular employment and industrial set up,
and huge numbers of in-migration have influenced the city into a different and distinct
demographic structure. This demographic demand has also affected the dwelling and other
daily based economic activity requirements, and finally, it shaped the morphological structure
of Kolkata city and responsible for the urban growth of Kolkata and much rapid urbanisation
of its catchment area, especially the rural-urban fringe. Determining urban growth and the
spatial pattern from the remote sensing data is a prevalent approach and has a long history
and geographic information system has a wide application of the urban analysis. However,
this study deals with the trend and pattern of urban growth, demographic change and
occupational change in the Kolkata city. Urban growth has analysed the both as well as the
pattern of urban land use and population change over the time. In the studies of contemporary
urban regions, the spatial integration and dynamicity of urban growth are most significant
issues. In the last few years, several studies had covered with regard to distribution of
population and their social systems with context to urbanization (Batty and Howes, 2001;
Belkina, 2007; Herold et al., 2002; Martinuzzi et al., 2007; Rafiee et al., 2009; Yanos, 2007;
Yeh and Li, 2001; Taha, 2014). Many relevant pieces of literature showing that it could be
deduced that the ever-increasing rise in the urban land use has various ramifications.
Furthermore, the literature review indicates that the concentration of diverse population is
one of the compelling factors of urban growth. Although, in many aspects of the process, the
growth has been uncontrolled and dispersed, which constitutes a substantial obstacle to the
process of sustainable regional development? Therefore, in the analysis of the growth of
cities, both the pattern and process of development are considered, to easily afford an
advanced understanding of the rapidly changing urban landscape. In the recent past, the use
of GIS techniques with well equipped Of remote sensing data has been increasing research
attention and also for retrieval methods for intelligent navigation, mapping as well as
simulation modelling of growth of urban. These methods have used with a great range for the
identification of land use changes as well as the expansion and development of urban regions
identified as cities and towns (Deng et al., 2009; Pathan et al., 1991; Angel et al., 2005;
Bhatta, 2010; Batisani and Yarnal, 2009; ). The GIS can analyse the remote sensing data
generated from multi-agent data evaluation techniques (Fotheringham and Wegener, 2000;
Alberti, 2005; Shahi et al., 2015). This advance spatial analytical methods could make
projections for the time of future using, the current and past information by collation of
phenomenon of interest data. Moreover, to determine urban growth rate and spatial
configuration, the use of photogrammetric and satellite data is reported to be so common by
using various statistical parameters of gauging a city’s development process (Donnay et al.,
2001; Herold et al., 2005; Wang et al., 2003; Landis and Zhang, 2000). Statistical models
employed for the accuracy and to check the error levels which has significantly improved in
the analysis, and that can be used as a quality benchmark in urban studies (Griffith, 1988).
Due to the importance of spatial data and for the estimation and measurement in urban-
related research, the statistical model based on the analysis of spatial data, for the estimation
and measurement of urban growth, have been extensively utilised by researchers. For
example, Pa´ ez and Scott (2004) developed the methods for practically generating the
confluence of urban analysis and statistical spatial models. In the same fashion, the work
includes analysis of the distribution and dispersion of human populations in various
residences local, regional, and trans-regional competitions in economic activities the
development of infrastructures, transportation and network traffic (Portugali et al., 1997;
Benati, 1997; Batty and Xie, 1997). The general growth of the city regarding per capita and
density as well as dynamicity of prospects, as well as the allocation of urban land for various
purposes (Clarke et al., 1997; Pendall, 1999; Batisani and Yarnal, 2009; Batty and Howes,
2001).
Kolkata is the one of the oldest city of West Bengal. Due to being the primate city, it has a
particular characteristic of the population and urban morphology, and that had changed over
the time concerning its pull forces and the power of population inflow for fulfilling their
social, economic and dwelling needs. Now a day’s city is the characterised by the
widespread. A large number of immigrant and daily influx population were commuting on a
daily basis those also used the urban services. The Kolkata city has gone through an
economic crisis, employment, Traffic congestion, the housing problem, creates urban heat
islands increasing air pollution and the problem of water supply and drainage problem.
Kolkata city morphology must be the influence of urban function as well as the changes of
demography, socio-economic status of the city dweller. After the independence, the growth
rate of urbanisation, as well as the new urban centres in India, has a takes place very rapidly.
Hence, for an older format of any urban region, there is a need to revise as the current need
and population and economic characteristics. So for the city like Kolkata, has many fold
challenges to sustain all the urban services for its people. Since, after the Making of
Bangladesh as an independent country from East Pakistan, most of the Bangladeshi people
are in migrating to Kolkata, legally as well as the illegal way and hence they were also
created a lot of pressure to the infrastructure of the Kolkata. So, there is a need to understand
the changes in urban resident population and its characteristics, along with its economic need
regarding jobs and employment also for its catchments regions and make it much services
oriented to fulfil the opportunity of livelihood. With this, the major aim of the study is to
analyse the city sprawl concerning spatiotemporal changes in land use of Kolkata city with
changing the economic and demographic characteristics of the city dwellers.
.
 2. Objectives:
The major aim of the study is to understand the economic activity changes with respect to
the demographic changes and its impact sprawl of land use transformation in peri-urban
region of Kolkata Metropolitan city. Therefore, the specific objectives of the study are:

1. To analyse the trend and pattern of demographic changes in Kolkata city,

2. To understand the occupational structure change in Kolkata city, and,
3. To analyse the Spatio-temporal changes in urban growth of Kolkata city.

3 . Methods and Materials

Study Area: Kolkata city is the study area which is located in the eastern part of the India.
It is the one of the oldest city of India. The city has a life of more than 300 year old and it
was once the capital of India during the British governance until 28 th December 1911 after
that the capital had shifted to Delhi. The administration area of Kolkata is combination of
several government agencies and it consists of overlapping structural divisions. There are
mainly three layer divisions have available in the city:
a. Kolkata Central Business District: Hosts the core central part of the city it and contains
24 wards of the Municipal Corporation (MC).
b. Kolkata City: It contains the central part of the city including 141 wards of KMC and
Four spatial Charges.
c. Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA): Kolkata Metropolitan Area is consists of three
Municipal Corporations (Kolkata, Howrah and Chandannagar), 38 independent
municipalities, 77 towns and 445 villages.

Table 1: Composition of Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA)

Categories of area Numbers Area in sq. km
Municipal corporation 3 271.31
Municipalities 38 615.49
Non municipal urban/census towns 77 200.1
Outgrowths 16 18.19
Rural area 445 746.32
Total KMA 1851.41
Source: Website of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), Ministry of
Urban Development. (http://jnnurm.nic.in/nurmudweb/toolkit/KolkataCdp/CH-I1-17.pdf)

Geographical Location: This city under the jurisdiction of Kolkata Metropolitan

Corporation (KMC) has an area of 185 sq. km (2011). It is located between 220 28' N & 220
58' N Latitude and 880 10' E & 880 27' E Longitude. It has spread roughly north south along
the east bank of river Hooghly. The city elevation is 1.5-9.0 m. The city has administratively
divided into 15 Boroughs and 141 wards.
Table 2: Boroughs and Their Associated Wards of Kolkata City as on 23 July 2010
Borough No Associated Wards Borough No Associated Wards
1 1-9 9 74-80, 82-83, 88
2 10-12, 15-20 10 81, 89, 91-100
3 13-14, 29-35 11 101-102, 110-114
4 21-28, 38,-39 12 103-109
5 36-37, 40-45, 48-50 13 115-123
6 46-47, 51-55, 60-62 14 124-132
7 56-59, 63-64, 66-67 15 133-141
8 65, 68-73, 84-87, 90
Note: Kolkata City 141 Ward and 4 Special Charges* (Fort, Canals, Port sea going Vassels, Port sea
going Vassels)

According to the census 2011, Kolkata city total population was 44,96,694 and out of which
23,56,766 males & 21,39,928 females. Among these total population, about 1.5 million were
the slum population that account for 32.40% of the total population of the city. The sex Ratio
was 908 female per 1000 males which was much lower than the national average.

Data Sources

The study has used multiple data sources to fulfil the needs of objectives. Following are the
details of data sources that have been used to execute the study.
Topographical Map: Calcutta Toposheet (Refer to this map as: NF 45-7 series U502)
Source: The University of Texas at Austin, University of Texas Libraries: India and Pakistan
Toposheet 1:250000. www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/ams/india/
Satellite image: the following Satellite Image were used for the study purposes:
 LANDSAT-MSS image (path 148, row 44) of 18 October 1972.
 LANDSAT-TM image (path 138, row 44) of 24 March 1992.
 LANDSAT-ETM+ image (path138, row 44) of 22 October 2002.
 LANDSAT OLI-8 image (path138, row 44) of 22 April 2014.
Source: United States Geological Survey http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/
Population, Economic and Demographic Characteristics: Census of India data (Socio-
cultural table and Economic Table) and state reports of West Bengal was used for the study.

Methodology

Statistical Analysis: For the census data of 2001 to 2011 of Kolkata, the trend analysis has
been done to represent the growth of population over last century and first decade of 21 st
century. For analyse the employment status of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), the
census data of 1971 to 2011 has used to show the trend of working status of male and female
both. Dependency ratio has been also calculated for the same periods.
Fig. 1: Methodological workflow for the study

Geospatial Analysis: It was representing that the Spatio-temporal changes of the Kolkata city
of the different time period. The study has been carried out with the help of ARC GIS (10.2)
and ERDAS (2014) Software. The list of data used in this study subsequent processing
including layer stake, Georeferencing and supervised classification. Four satellite images
were classified and supervised classification method in the ERDAS imagine (2014) software.
By the use of Google earth software collected Kolkata actual location latitude and longitude
and demarcation of the Kolkata boundary.

4. Result
Urban Population: the table 3 shows the urbanization trends of India, West Bengal and
Kolkata Metropolitan Area and the Kolkata City. Since the city is the region which contains
the urbanized population while the Metropolitan Area may contains the rural fringe as well.
So KMA is showing the a few amounts of non-urban population but the trends shown that it
is moving towards the completeness of urbanized population.
Table 3: Percentage of Urban Population, Census of India, 1971-2011
Region 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011
India 19.87 23.73 26.1 27.78 31.16
West Bengal 24.75 26.47 27.5 27.97 31.87
KMA 92.83 92.44 91.72 91.25 93.12
Kolkata City 100 100 100 100 100

Trends of Population in Kolkata City: table 4 shown the trends of urban growth and
development of Kolkata city from 1901 to the current Census of 2011. It also highlighted the
geographical expansion and demographic changes over the period of more than a century.
The area of the city has been become more than two folds over the last century while during
the same period the population has grown about its 400%. The massive change in sex ratio
over the same period was also found due to demographic composition changes due to in-
migration of females and gradually increment in the female work participation in workforce
population.

Table 4: Geo-Demographic profile of Kolkata City* in 1901-2011, Census of India.

Status Area in Population Sex Growth
Year Male Female Total
of city Sq. Km Density Ratio Rate**
1901 M NA NA 657464 352389 1009853 536 -
1911 M 82.9 13489 739862 378104 1117966 511 10.7
1921 M 54.4 21300 770807 387690 1158497 503 3.6
1931 M 85.5 15087 867481 421980 1289461 486 11.3
1941 M 87.3 26952 1600541 751858 2352399 470 82.4
1951 M 73.4 40279 1855953 1100522 2956475 593 25.7
1961(a) MC 103.0 32536 2056328 1294922 3351250 630 13.4
1971 MC 104.0 35837 2242106 1484914 3727020 662 11.2
1981 MC 104.0 39681 2370868 1755978 4126846 741 10.7
1991(b) MC 185.0 23783 2445328 1954491 4399819 799 6.6
2001 MC 185.0 24718 2500040 2072836 4572876 829 3.7
2011 MC 185.0 24306 2356766 2139928 4496694 908 -1.7
*
South suburban municipality, garden rich municipality and Jadavpur municipality were merged with Calcutta
(mc) in 1984. The population of Calcutta have been recasted since 1901 accordingly
a. Include the area and population of Kolkata (mc)and other 4 special charges (Fort, Canals, Port sea
going Vassels, Port sea going Vassels)
b. denote the area figures as supplied by the surveyor general for Calcutta
NA: Not Available
**Decadal Growth Rate of Kolkata city, 1901-2011
The figure 2 illustrated the trend of male, female and total population growth over the period
of 1901 to 2011. The graph clearly shown that there was a very minimal change in population
from 1901 to 1931 and after third decades of 19th century, the growth was very rapid. The gap
among male female also diminished over the period and hence, the sex ratio found towards
favourable from each previous decades. After 1991, the population became stagnant and up
to 2011, the male female difference was much low and the sex ratio reported was 908
although that was much lower than the state average.
Fig. 2: Trends of Population in Kolkata, Census of India, 1901-2011

Trend of Population in Kolkata City, 1901-2011, Census of India

5000
4500
4000
Population ('000)

3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011
Year

Male Female Total

Trends of Decadal Growth Rate of Kolkata City: the figure 3 represented that decadal growth rate of
population of Kolkata city from 1901 to 2011. It has seen that, after 1931 in 1941 there was a vast
increment in growth rate of city’s population and again in next decade this came down as very steeply
in 1951. This decline was accessed due to the division of India into two nations. This declining was
continued up to the negative growth rate (-1.7%) in the recent decade of 2011.

Fig. 3: Trends of Decadal Growth Rate of Population in Kolkata City, Census of India, 1901-2011

Decadal Growth Rate (%) of Kolkata City, 1901-2011

G 95
r 85
o 75
w 65
t 55
h 45
35
R 25
a 15
t 5
e -5
1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011

Census Years

Trends of Age-Sex Structure of Kolkata City: Figure 4 illustrated the age-sex structure of
Kolkata city from 1971 to 2011. The trend of graph shown that population has shifted from
early ages to the working age population, and the age of 60+ population was also increased
with time.
Fig. 4: Age-Sex Structure of Kolkata City, Census of India, 1901-2011
Female population has been increased over the time and in 1981 onwards the gap becomes
much narrow among male and female specially in working age population. This also
characterised the increasing the population of women in the city either for working purposes
or education through the in-migration. This city has a high Percentage of female population
in the age group 0-19 and working age group of male population was high compared to the
female population. The city population shown that the older age group of 65+ female’s
population was high after 1991. In 2011, Census data shown that the age group of 20-39, the
female population was higher than the male population.

Trends of Employment Status of Kolkata City: Figure 5 shown that the trends of
employment status of male and female from 1981 to 2011 for the city. The graph clearly
illustrated that although the male employment status were much higher over the considered
period but we observed a trend of declination, while the female were getting much involved
in employment with faster rate. By the working type, there was huge difference in male and
female. In one hand, 80-90% of male were engaged as main worker, while in females, this
main working participation was much lower and over the time, the increment was in between
10-20%. More than 60% of women were classified under non-working group.

Fig. 5 Trend of occupational change in Kolkata city, 1981-2011, Census of India

Male Workers for Kolkata City Female Workers for Kolkata City
70
100
90 60
80 50
Workers (%)

70
Workers (%)

60 40
50
40 30
30 20
20
10 10
0 0
1981 1991 2001 2011 1981 1991 2001 2011
Years
Years
Main Workers Marginal Workers Non Workers Main Workers Marginal Workers Non Workers

Trends of Occupational Structure of Kolkata City: The table 5 shown the trends of
occupational structure of the Kolkata city from 1971 to 2011 Census years. In terms of the
sectoral distribution of jobs in the Kolkata city, like livestock, forestry, fishing, mining and
quarrying sector, the population engagement were very less and not much participation were
recorded except few addition in female. It was found that in male, in the category of other
than household industry, the participation has decline from about 28% to 18%. While in
females, there was a massive growth occurred in the household industry from 1971 to 2011 as
about one percent to 3.2 percent, although this participation was very small. In other services,
male participation was increased. While in females were increasing trend of participation in
the Trade and Commerce related industries. Overall, for male and female both, the
participation in construction work were increased over this period. In females, except
transport storage & communication and other services, the work participation has increased.
In this city construction sector male work participation was 2.5% in 1971 and in 2001 it
become almost near to double 4.5%. Subsequently female work participation in the same
sector was slowly increasing as in 1971 it was only 0.6% and up to 2001 it went to 1.4%.
Table 5: Trends of Occupational Structure in Kolkata city, Census of India, 1971-2001
Male (%) Female (%)
Workers 1971 1981 1991 2001 1971 1981 1991 2001
Livestock, Forestry, Fishing 0.4 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.3
Mining and Quarrying 0.0 0.0 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.1
Household Industry 0.6 1.7 0.5 2.5 0.9 2.2 0.6 3.2
Other Than HH Industry 28.3 29.9 27.7 18.4 9.0 8.7 10.6 9.9
Construction 2.5 2.8 3.6 4.5 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.4
Trade & Commerce 30.4 29.8 31.8 26.6 7.6 8.7 10.1 9.8
Transport storage &
14.2 13.8 12.3 11.9 3.5 3.6 3.3 2.9
Communication
Other Services 23.5 21.4 23.4 35.5 78.3 75.9 74.1 72.5

In the year 2001, male and female working population in other than household sector has
decreased with respect of previous years. In trade and commerce sector, both male and
female population, there were found a decreasing pattern over the time period due in the city
region developed the Multinational shopping complex and the city centre. According to the
census classification of other services sector, female working population were very high,
because in this sector major female population were engaged in community social and
personal services like as health and medical services rendered by organisations and
individuals such as hospitals dispensaries, nursing homes, maternal and child welfare clinics
by Allopathic, Ayurvedic, Unani, homeopathic, etc and community services such as religious
services rendered by organisation or individual service sector. And many women are engaged
in the personal services like as domestic services, tailoring, hair dressing and beauty shops.
Male-Female Activity Rate: The graph has shown that the trends of the economic activity
rate by sex of Kolkata city.

Fig. 6: Male-Female Activity Rate, Census of India

75.0
Male & Female activity Rate(%)

70.0
65.0
60.0
55.0
50.0
1971 1981 1991 2001 2011
Year
Male Activity Rates Female Activity Rate
Results shown that in early of 70s there was a wide gap among the male-female activity rate
and this become narrow over the time. Since the male activity rate was about constant and
had found a slight declining trends while the female participation was increased over the
same time and in 2011 it become similar to their counterparts. In 1971, in female, economic
activity rate was about 58% and in 2011 it increased up to the level of 70%, while in the male
there was no much positive changes had found. 1981 was the decade, when the female
activity rate was suddenly increased and in male, afterwards found slightly declining trends.

Trends of Age Structure of Kolkata City: According to the census data, in the city, child
population was decreasing over the time period 1971 to 2011. In this period of 40 years, child
population has decreased by 10.3% and the working population of 15-59 years age group has
increased by 3.7%. There was increased trends found in older population (60+) too and it
became more than two folds over the period of forty years.

Table 6a: Different age Group Population in Kolkata city Census of India
Age Group 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011
0-14 29.3 26.3 25.2 21.9 19.0
15-59 65.5 67.6 67.5 68.1 69.2
60+ 5.2 6.1 7.4 9.9 11.8

Dependency Ratio of Kolkata City: The total dependency ratio of the Kolkata city was
52.8% in 1971. The Kolkata city had shown a decreasing trend of the total dependency ratio
over the time period because there were increases of the working population and to decrease
of the child population. The decreasing trends of the young dependency ratio was observed
because of the fertility rate was the below replacement level of Kolkata city. Although, the
old age dependency ratio has increased over this span. It was because the old age population
has increased over the time period. The city had experienced that, within this time period, (40
years) old age population has increased by about two folds.

Table: 6b. Dependency Ratio in Kolkata city, Census of India

Dependency Ratio 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011
Total Dependency Ratio 52.8 47.9 48.2 46.7 44.5
Young Dependency Ratio 44.8 38.9 37.3 32.2 27.4
Old Age Dependency Ratio 8.0 9.0 10.9 14.6 17.1

Spatio-Temporal Changes Of Urban Growth: The spatial growth of Kolkata city was not
followed under of any planning model. In the study, the spatial growth has observed by using
the remote sensing data and geo information system that in the earlier year of 1951, the urban
area was 23.06% and it increased in 2014 up to 52.32%. Present study captured the spatial
growth in between 1951 to 2014. The spatio-temporal change of the city were influencing to
the people to accrete of the better facility and better opportunity in the city. Kolkata city was
an oldest city of west Bengal. Historically, the function of city was much better than the other
cities. In the time of independence, huge number of refugee had settled in the city to the
places where the land was available. The people from the East Pakistan (Bangladesh) and
neighbouring state and districts continue in migrate and to contributed to the growth of the
settlement. The external and internal factors play a major important role of the growth of the
city. The city functions were a major factor and that contributed in the growth of Kolkata
city. Kolkata’s urban structure has been changed over the time period. A large number of
organisations like public and private were occupied the urban periphery directly and
indirectly and changes the scenario of urban land development, housing development and
management of the Kolkata city. In 1912 Kolkata Improvement Trust (KIT) had started
operation with a programme of development of urban infrastructure of the city of Kolkata in
terms of the Kolkata Improvement Act, 1911 (K.I. Act). This administrative board was a kind
of integration and used for quick implementation of the various urban development projects
within the city.

Table 7: Agencies Responsible For Urban Land Development and Management

Type of Function Organisation
Urban Development & Planning Policy Housing and Urban Development Department
Framework and Guideline Directorate of Town Planning

Land Record Office of the Tahasildar

Land Registration Office of The Sub Registration(Land

Infrastructure Development
Land & Housing Development
Planning & Development Control
Registration)
Road and Building Department
Public Health Department
Kolkata Municipality Corporation
Tele-Communalisation
WB State Electricity Board
Kolkata Improvement Trust
Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority
Kolkata Land and Housing Development
Corporation
Housing and Urban Development Corporation
Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority
(KMDA)

In 1961 the Kolkata metropolitan planning organisation, the first of its kind of developmental
authority was set up through a resolution of the development and planning department to
development of the comprehensive development plan for the metropolis of Kolkata. In the
late sixties Hooghly River bridge commissioners was set up the under the HRBC Act.1969
for the purpose of construction of the third bridge across the river Hooghly.
Subsequently in 1966 Kolkata metropolitan water and sanitation authority, and again in 1970,
Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) was established for implementation
of the large scale urban infrastructure development.
The Growth of Kolkata City

Fig.7: Urban Scenario of Kolkata City, 1951, Spatial occurrence of urban growth (a)
Toposheet (1:250,000) and (b) Urban Land Use

Fig. 8a: Spatial occurrence of urban growth, (a) Satellite Image (60 m) and (b) Urban land
use, 1972
Fig. 8b: Spatial occurrence of urban growth (a) Satellite Image (30 m) and (b) Urban Land
Use, 1992

Fig. 8c: Spatial occurrence of urban growth (a) Satellite Image (15 m) and (b) Urban Land
Use, 2002
Fig. 8d: Spatial occurrence of urban growth (a) Satellite Image (15 m) and (b) Urban Land
Use, 2014

Fig. 9: Spatial-Temporal Growth of Kolkata City, 195-2014

Table 8: Description of land use type in Kolkata city
Land use type Description
Urban Settlement Including urban Residential, industrial and institutional areas, roads
and other manmade structures.

Vegetation/Garden/Park Including, garden, park and natural vegetation.

Agricultural/Fello Land Including agriculture, open space, other than built up area.

River/Lake/Water Body Including pond, lake, reservoir and other water body.

Table 9: Land Use Classification Scheme, Percentage of Land Use Pattern in Kolkata city
Land Use Pattern 1972 1992 2002 2014
Urban Settlement 25.1 34.7 58.5 63.0
Vegetation/Garden/Park 10.1 6.0 23.9 2.8
Agricultural/Fellow Land 59.6 57.4 15.2 33.4
River/lake/Water Body 5.2 1.9 2.4 0.9

Result revealed that among the changes of Kolkata city increase of the build up area and
rapidly decreased of the agricultural and water body. It changes of the landscape of the city.
The Spatio-temporal changes of Kolkata city and influenced by the expansion of the build up
area. During the study period (1951-2014) build up area expansion vary rapidly in 1951 build
up area (23.2%), 1972 urban build up area (25.1%) and 2014 increased (63%), it is not
properly planning. Remote sensing data provide of the green space or vegetation area. In
1972 city has a green space or vegetation (10.1%) and over the time period vegetation cover
is decreased. At the result of their air pollution rate is very high and urban heat is increasing
in the day time. In the city region many pond and lake are diminished due to the development
of new settlement. In The year 1972 city have a water body (5.2%) and now a day’s total
water body (0.9%).

Fig. 10: Land Use Changes in Kolkata city, 1972-2014

70.0
G
r 60.0
Land Use Pattern (%)
o
50.0
w
t 40.0 Urban settlement
h
30.0 Vegetation/Garden/Park

r Agricultural/Felloland
20.0
a River/lake/Waterbody
t 10.0
e
0.0
1972 1992 2002 2014
Year
5. Conclusion
The study shown that, with changes in demographic and economic characteristics of any
urban population, the land use changes comes spontaneously. Over the era of a century, the
first urban region of India, Kolkata has changed dramatically, not only its potential boundary,
but all the process of population growth with the respect of economic and social changes.
Due the emergence of new urban center like Mumbai and Delhi (NCR), in the terms of
employment and livelihood opportunity, the flow and magnitude of migration has
diminished. Most of these changes have been occurred after 1970s. This study not only
explores the Spatio-temporal changes in the Kolkata city but also analyse the demographic
and economic activity changes. The spatial analyse shows that the Kolkata urban growth vary
rapidly and spatial growth of North, East, South East and North South Portion of the city. A
significant finding the city has the growing up the build up area in 1972 to 2014. The result of
the spatial analysis of the urban growth and population growth is the main causes of the city
provide availability of basic and essential urban amenities, job facility.
This city is a main business hub as well the state capital of the West Bengal. Besides being a
very popular tourist destination of Kolkata city like as Victoria Memorials, Kalighat Kali
temple, Indian Museum, Dakhshinaswar kali temple, Eden garden Maidan, Howrah Bridge
and Marble Places, it also plays a very strategic role of tourism industry. In general the study
find out the by the help of remote sensing data the city build up area is very rapidly increase,
there are only 6% Transport road and there rapidly decline of the open space, green space
and water bodies. Result revealed that among the changes of Kolkata city increase of the
build up area and rapidly decreased of the agricultural and water body. It changes of the
landscape of the city. The Spatio-temporal changes of Kolkata city and influenced by the
expansion of the build up area.

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