The document discusses the intricate relationship between economic growth, urbanization, and environmental sustainability, highlighting the need to balance development with ecological concerns. It focuses on the rapid urbanization in India, particularly in Kolkata, which poses significant environmental, health, and socio-economic challenges. Throughout, the document emphasizes the urgency of transitioning from limitless economic growth to sustainable practices to mitigate the adverse effects on both society and the planet.

1. Development and Environment
.... How long we will keep on debating?
By Tapas Kumar Ghatak, Geophysicist
Domain Expertise in :Urban Environment and
Spatial Mapping

2. Economic growth
and
the future of Development
• The centrality of economic growth for the
future of development is clear.
• Without strong economies and sustainable
sources of finance we will not be able to
Build neither Physical nor Social
infrastructure.
• Strong economies are also pivotal for job
creation and decent livelihoods.

3. Development and Economics..
But Where is Environment in this Equation ??
ECONOMICS is Investment
Result is Development
But How???
Where does the other Resource come from????
Mostly from Nature and That is Environment
Water

4. What is the Global Thought
About
Economic growth and sustainable
Development
…….. are they mutually exclusive? Striking a balance between
uncontrolled with sectorial economic growth and sustainability…..
is it possible?
…….Perhaps we neither recognize nor understand the
connection between the Economy and the Earth.
…… Perhaps our sense of understanding of such interdependence
has been buried by our search for happiness with possessiveness
through materialism and economic growth.
…….Perhaps we would not know what to do if our nations
rather we fail to attain higher GDP and our businesses do
not make a profit.

5. So.. are we still debating and
compromising???
• The thought of so called GDPgrowth without the existence or
not being able to replenish the natural resources has not so far hit
our group as yet.
• Is it Because our Voices of sustainability yet to rise toward its
peak?
• Are we waiting for the day when we will reach point of no Return
The anxiety is mounting about our process and ability to
achieve sustainability, that is, our greed to
meet our present needs while ensuring that
future generations will be able to meet their needs.

6. Concern for the Environment which was so far
known as Nature has Now matured
• People from government to private enterprise
decided to act and take appropriate action.
• Members of the Civic Societies across the world
also came forward
• Various group of thinkers in politics, business and
science also lined up in the front.
All are univocal about unbounded growth of
population, pollution and depletion of natural
resources would cause the collapse of physical
growth on earth along with its habitats.

7. Limitless economic growth in the
cover of Development
counters sustainability
Short terms benefits of economic growth are many:
1.The more is the businesses and more the nations grow and
more is the profit.
2. The more individuals have jobs.
3. More resources and better quality of life.
Yet in order to grow, the economy also grips on natural
resources and emits waste that pollutes the air and threatens
the delicate climate on which life not only survives but also
depends.

8. Behind the scenes is, the unlimited use of
limited natural resources
• The fundamental resource for life …Land, Water
and Air, are no longer plenty.
• Fuel like coal , oil and gas that facilitate economic
growth and by technological advances that
extract the last dregs of energy from the earth.
These counterbalancing forces undermine the
foundation upon which economic growth is built
and, over the long term, create a huge gap and as
time progresses which will swallow up the
economy, environment and society itself.

9. • The continued emphasis on the economic growth it
is being established today is diametrically opposed
to sustainability of our planet in particular and its
life within, in general.
• There has been a progress in developing alternative
energy sources to divert us from carbon-based
energy, but it is time to bring an end to limitless
growth, to rethink our priorities, to conserve and
also to reinvent.
SO WE ARE COMPROMISING WHILE DEBETATING
WITH SUSTAINIBILTY WHEN WE ARE RACING FOR
DEVELOPMENT

10. HOW THE POPULATION GREW

11. Increment in Urban Population
in top ten Million + cities in India
The top 10 cities are estimated to produce about 15% of the GDP, with 8% of the
population and just 0.1% of the land area.

12. Change in Urban Built-up Area & Land Cover:
Kolkata
Built-up
Vegetation
Water bodies
Others
10.3 million 1990 13.2 million 2001 14.1 million 2010

13. Urban-Rural Convergence
• Urban India is growing at an unprecedented
rate. The census 2011 says for the first time
since Independence, the absolute increase in
population is more in urban areas than in rural
areas. The level of urbanisation increased
from 27.81% in 2001 to 31.16% in 2011,
with a total urban population of 377
million.
TERI, Census 2011, Urban-rural convergence(Dr Divya Sharma)

14. How Urban is Our Population
• In 2011, there are 3 cities with population
greater than 10 million and 53 cities with
population greater than 1 million.
• Over 833 million Indians live in 0.64 million
villages but 377 million live in about 8,000
urban centres.

15. Environmental effects
• Urban heat islands has become a growing concern over the
years, this is formed when industrial and urban areas produce
and retain heat. Solar energy that reaches rural areas is
consumed by evaporation of water from vegetation and soil. In
cities, where there is less vegetation and exposed soil, most
of the sun's energy is instead absorbed by buildings and
asphalt; leading to higher surface temperatures. Vehicles,
factories and industrial and domestic heating and cooling units
release even more heat. As a result, cities are often 1 to 3 °C
(1.8 to 5.4 °F) warmer than surrounding landscapes.
Impacts also include reducing soil moisture and a reduction in
reabsorption of carbon dioxide emissions

16. Health and social effects
“When cities don’t plan for increase in population it
drives up house and land prices, creating rich (ghettos)
and poor ghettos. A very unequal society and that
inequality is manifested where people live, in the
neighbourhoods, and it means there can be less capacity
for empathy and less development for the entire
society”
Jack Finegan, Urban Programme Specialist at UN-
Habitat

17. Health and social effects in reality.
• Rapid urbanization has led to increased mortality
from non-communicable diseases associated with
lifestyle, including cancer and heart disease.
• Urban health levels are on average better in
comparison to rural areas. However, residents in
poor urban areas such as slums and informal
settlements suffer "disproportionately from disease,
injury, premature death”
• Many of the urban poor have difficulty accessing
health services due to their inability to pay for them;
so they resort to less qualified and unregulated
providers.
.

18. Health and social effects in reality, contd
• While urbanization is associated with
improvements in public hygiene, sanitation and
access to health care, it also entails changes in
occupational, dietary and exercise patterns. More
over insufficiency of the mentioned facilities
creates a mixed effects on health patterns. For
instance, in children, urbanization is associated
with a lower risk of under-nutrition but a higher
risk of overweight.
• Overall, body mass index and cholesterol levels
increase sharply with national income and the
degree of urbanization

19. Economic effect
• In many developing countries where economies are
growing, the growth is often erratic and based on a small
number of industries.
• For young people in these countries barriers exist such as,
a. Lack of access to financial services and business advisory
services,
b. Difficulty in obtaining credit to start a business,
c. Lack of entrepreneurial skills, in order for them to access
opportunities in these industries.
• Investment in human capital so that young people have
access to quality education and infrastructure to enable
access to educational facilities is imperative to overcoming
economic barriers.

20. STORY OF A
CONTINUING
BATTLE
As India defines “urban”
as
a combination of
population, density, and
employment thresholds…..
“Natural Resource and
Sustainability” are not

21. CAN WE
MAKE
IT ?

22. A close look into our own home
An analysis of Situation
of Kolkata…
Our City… My City

23. An Introspection:
How the Global process effects the
Local habitation and growth
A direct Impact
analysis:
The Kolkata
Context

24. Kolkata
Now and Then
THEN:-
•One of the biggest cities of the world having
functional category of services-cum-industry.
•In the process, the town, later city, underwent
several stages ranging from a garrison town to a
company town
• and then to a provincial city and then to the
headquarters of the Government of British
India.

25. Intermediate Period
• Loss in the administrative hierarchy by the
shift of the territorial headquarters to Delhi.
• Impact of Industrilasion which were
developing around Calcutta. This city got a
major share of the post – world war I
industrialization.
• It also started being known as a center of
culture, renaissance, films, literature, scientific
surveys and other institutions.

26. NOW
• Calcutta has several unaddressed issues as well.
• It has been known for its poverty in spite of the
richest people who live here.
• One of the major contributing factors to the growth
of this city is its ever-increasing population.
• No definite planning programme could be conceived
during the middle part of the century with the
growth rate of the city.
• Settlements were erratic, illegal and emotionally
biased. Planners had no option but to allow a
natural path for its growth.

27. Is this Non –Sustainable
Development can be termed as
“ Man Made Disaster?”
and
Are we really ready for the Such
Urban Disaster Management?

28. • “Although the incidence of major natural
disasters has not increased, their effects are
becoming more severe in the Third World
because of the growing numbers of people
and structures located in hazard-prone
areas. Millions of people in these expanding
urban populations are potential victims of
disasters of cataclysmic proportions, and
even the political and economic stability of
many nations in Africa, Asia and Latin
America can be threatened.”
Spencer W Havlick

29. 1792

30. 1817

31. 1852

32. Early 20th
Century

33. We were and We are
proud what we had

34. An Introspection of the
use of our Natural
Resources which we
had….
And what we
have….

41. Urban AreaUrban Area
Rural AreaRural Area
Vacant AreaVacant Area
VegetationVegetation
Agricultural
Field
Agricultural
Field
Predominat
Wetlands (East
Kolkata)
Predominat
Wetlands (East
Kolkata)

42. Land Use Pattern Analysis (KMA)Land Use Pattern Analysis (KMA)
Year 1980 – 86 ( 1527 sq.km.) Year 2005 (1722 sq.km.)
Urban AreaUrban Area Rural AreaRural Area WetlandsWetlands VegetationVegetation Agricultural FieldAgricultural Field Vacant LandVacant Land
Year 2014 (1900 sq.km.)

44. Maximum Decline

46. Kalyani
Banshberia
Uluberia
Howrah
Barasat
Barrackpore
Kolkata
Baruipur
Kalyani
Barrackpore
Barasat
Kolkata
Maheshtala
Baruipur

47. Location of BorewellsLocation of Borewells
Southren Part of KMASouthren Part of KMA

49. Piezometric Depression: KMC area
7m - 10m
1998

50. HIGHEST RISK AREA
HIGH RISK AREA
MODERATE RISK AREA
Kmc Ward Wise (depression) Risk Areas

53. Based on NRSC
Data 2006
AND THE OBVIOUS
EFFECT

57. Name of Catchment Basin
Area of Catchment new
(Sq. Km)
Total Population
(As per census 2001)
Howrah Drainage Channel 118 1626615
Rajapur Drainage Channel 68.21 327241
Borajala Drainage Channel 55.8 216646
•Dankuni Drainage Channel 210 1239548
Bagher Khal 92.48 401,952
Nawi Khal 114 2304613
Beliaghata Khal and Bangur Cut 220 4223266
•Kaorapukur Khal Charial Khal and Boat
Canal
176 2,046,894
•Tolly's Nala 16 583847
•Panchammgram Cannel 46.13 926281
Details of Drainage Basin of Kolkata Metropolitan
Area
Details of Drainage Basin of Kolkata Metropolitan
Area

58. LAND FORM MAP OF
KOLKATA METROPOLITAN AREA

Dankuni Drainage channel
Panchannagram Drainage Channel
Tally Nala
Kaorapukur, Charial Khal and Boat Canal

59. Livee Area ( Sq. Km), Pop X 1000, Pop Density X 1000Back Swamp Area ( Sq. Km), Pop X 1000, Pop Density X 1000

60. Shrinkage of Drainage basins
Type/Year Habitat
Land
Wet land Agriculture
Land
1922 30% 17% 53%
2004 70% 10% 12%
Increase in habitat Land more than 100% since 1947

61. The Cumulative
Effect

66. WE
AND
OUR GROWTH

67. year Population X 1000
1,971 7,078.96
1,981 9,249.91
1,991 11,021.92
2,001 13,205.7
2,011 14,057.99
Population history [1]
KMA Annual population
change
[1971-1981] +2.71 %/year
[1981-1991] +1.77 %/year
[1991-2001] +1.82 %/year
[2001-2011] +0.63 %/year

69. This lists ranks buildings in Kolkata that stand at least (72 metres (236 ft),
Only completed buildings and under-construction buildings
(Only topped out are included in few selected ward ( 2012-2015 ?)

71. INTERFERANCE
WITH
URBANISAION

72. Map Showing Solid Waste Generation
Data Source KMC

73. PROCESS OF RELOCATION SHOULD BEGIN FROM HERE
INDUSRIE
S AND
POLLUTIO
N

74. TOTALNO.OFINDUSTRIES
INTHEWARDSOFKMC
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
N
o
.
O
f
I
n
d
u
s
t
r
y
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Ward No.R O G0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
N
o
.
o
f
I
n
d
u
s
t
r
y
26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50
Ward NoR O G
0
50
100
150
200
250
N
o
.
o
f
I
n
d
u
s
t
r
y
51 53 55 57 59 61 63 65 67 69 71 73 75
Ward No.R O G
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
N
o
.
O
f
I
n
d
u
s
t
r
y
76 78 80 82 84 86 88 90 92 94 96 98 100
Ward NoR O G
NO.OFREDINDUSTRIES
INTHEWARDSOFKMC

75. Ward wise number of
Inflammable Unit Of KMC

Ward Wise Public Open
Space In KMC

76. Looking
Deeper By
A
Micro level
Risk
Analysis

77. CRITICAL
WARDS

78. Ward
No
Elevation 0pen Space Drainage Ground
water
Water
logging
Urbanisa
tion
Industry
13 LO Minimum Poor Average L L M
14 LO Minimum Poor Average Marginal L H
29 LO Minimum Poor Average L L M
30 LO Minimum Poor Average Moderate L M
31 LO Average Poor Average L H M
32 LO Average Poor Average L M M
33 LO High Poor Average Marginal H VH
34 LO Minimum Poor Average Acute H VH
35 LO Minimum Poor Average L M M
WARD WISE RISK IN BORROGH 3

79. Borough
No
Ward No Constrains potentials
Criteria Nature Criteria Nature
3 33 1. Physiography
2. Slope Direction
3. Water Logging.
4. Decadal Growth.
5. Industry.
6. Sewerage
7. Waste
8. Slums
9. Ground water
10. Units with
Inflatable storage
1. Sharp Multidirectional surface slope
2. towards North and west of the ward
3. Marginal , 2-4 hrs about 1 Km
4. 10% ( Marginal)
5. Very High ( 340 , census 2004)
6. 14%(existing) 14% ( Proposed) 0f existing Road
7. Waste( MT)/Area -3000 MT, High
Waste(MT)/1000 person/yr- 120 MT Marginally
high
8. Pockets: 44, Family 4780 9 High
9. Depletion of Water level prominent, Marginally
High
10. No: 50 Fire Risk Very High
1. Canal and
water ways
2. Wetlands &
Water bodies.
3. Park/open
Space (no), and
per 1000
person
1. Very Prominent in the
South and West.
2. No: 20, area 21% Very
High
3. No 12, area 0.27 per 1000
person, Good
Criteria for Wards base Analysis for action plan
Identification Boro 3,Ward 33
Data Source: Elevation/Slope-:- World bank, KMDA, IIT KGP, Canal:- World bank, KMC, Industry, : Industry Census; KMDA, WBPCB( JICA
Project),Water Logging:- World bank, UNICEF, Open Space/Park :- KMC, Sewerage: KEIP, Solid Waste:- KMC, Slum: KUSP, KMC

80. Borough
No
Ward No Constrains potentials
7 58 1. Physiography
2. Slope Direction
3. Water Logging.
4. Decadal
Growth.
5. Industry.
6. Sewerage
7. Waste
8. Slums
9. Ground water
10. Units with
Inflatable
storage
1. Very high surface slope from 0.05m to 6m
2. Surface slope towards Central and North West.
3. EXTREAMLY ACUTE, 12 Hrs to few days in few
pockets
4. Low.
5. High ( No 219. Census 2004)
6. 7%(existing) 3% ( Proposed) of existing road
7. Waste( MT)/Area -2400 MT,High
Waste(MT)/1000 person/yr- 206 MT very high
8. Pockets: 554, Family 20700 very High
9. Normal.
10. No: 25 Fire Risk Medium
1. Canal and
water ways
2. Wetlands &
Water bodies.
3. Park/open
Space (no), and
per 1000
person
1. Very Prominent in the
South and North.
2. No: 101, area 15% Very
High
3. No : 7 area 0.0.08 per 1000
person, Low
Criteria for Wards base Analysis for action plan
Identification Boro 7, Ward No 58
Data Source: Elevation/Slope-:- World bank, KMDA, IIT KGP, Canal:- World bank, KMC, Industry, : Industry Census; KMDA, WBPCB( JICA
Project),Water Logging:- World bank, UNICEF, Open Space/Park :- KMC, Sewerage: KEIP, Solid Waste:- KMC, Slum: KUSP, KMC

81. Borough
No
Ward No Constrains potentials
12 108 1. Physiograph
y
2. Slope
Direction
3. Water
Logging.
4. Decadal
Growth.
5. Industry.
6. Sewerage
7. Waste
8. Slums
9. Ground
water
10. Units with
Inflatable
storage
1. Very high surface slope from 0.01m to
5m
2. Lowest in the Central part, low in the
eastern part
3. Not reported
4. Very High
5. High ( No 140, Census 2004)
6. 0.007%(existing) 7% ( Proposed) of
existing road, Very low
7. Waste( MT)/Area -660 MT,average
Waste(MT)/1000 person/yr- 96 MT
high
8. Pockets: 14, Family 2770
9. Normal.
10. No: 14 Fire Risk low
1. Canal and
water ways
2. Wetlands &
Water
bodies.
3. Park/open
Space (no),
and per
1000
person
Criteria for Wards base Analysis for action plan
Identification Boro 12, Ward No 108
Data Source: Elevation/Slope-:- World bank, KMDA, IIT KGP, Canal:- World bank, KMC, Industry, : Industry Census; KMDA, WBPCB( JICA
Project),Water Logging:- World bank, UNICEF, Open Space/Park :- KMC, Sewerage: KEIP, Solid Waste:- KMC, Slum: KUSP, KMC

82. Constrains and Potential
Leads to Negativity Analysis
and is generally
followed by
Preparedness and Mitigation

83. A close look
in the
Boro IV

84. Population Ward Wise KMC
Boro IV

89. Ward Wise Population/Municipal Solid Waste Generated
Average waste in KMC about 9000Tons/Ward
Ward No SW Ton Pop 11
21 3516.36 21187
22 8731.16 15730
23 7377.61 18256
24 4117.92 19824
25 7731.7 27484
26 3919.66 25371
27 6306.1 19350
28 6182.96 38110
38 11492.75 28791
39 6858.74 21296

90. Ward
No
Elevation
Diff.
0pen Space Drainage Ground
water
Water
logging
Urbanisa
tion
Industry
21 Minimum Poor Low NA L H
22 Minimum Low AV H
23 High Minimum Poor Low H L
24 Average Very Low Poor Low H L
25 High Minimum Poor Average H L
26 Lo High Poor Average AV L
27
Average Very Low Poor Average
AV
L
28
Average High Poor Average
NA
L H
38
Average Minimum Poor Average
H
l
39 Low Minimum Poor Average NA L
WARD WISE RISK IN BORROGH 4

91. WHY DID
IT HAPPEN
WHEN WE ARE

92. Politically +vePolitically +ve
• Stability
• Vision
• Willingness
• Involvement
• Knowledge
• Participation
Economically +veEconomically +ve
• Sufficient flow of fund
• International fund
• National fund
• State fund
• Private fund
• Joint Venture Fund
Literally +ve
• Highly concuss
• High literal percentage
• Concentration of
Knowledge center
• Literal Heritage
• International Recognition

93. DO These leads
to…….
URBAN
DISASTER Or
RISK
Is this A
Sustainable
Development ?
IF NOT, Then why
are we

94. PLEASE LOOK FOR
AN ANSWER
AND
A SOLUTION FOR
SURVIVAL

95. Minimum Physically InfrastructureMinimum Physically Infrastructure
• Minimum Increase in roads/ Highway / Bridge/ flyover
• Stagnation in drainage: minimum modernization
• No Pvt. Participation in holistic way
• No legal binding on sewerage connection
• No financial obligation of sustainability
Insignificant Social InfrastructureInsignificant Social Infrastructure
• Improper Utilization of knowledge center
• Improper distribution of health Centre
• Prominence of social divide
• Disintegration among social groups
• No common platform for citizen interaction
• Minimum Stake holder’s participation
• No Financial Stake

96. PLANNINN
G
POLICIES
PLANNINNG POLICIES
What it should be…
What it is Now
=
Development
&
Sustainabilty
Where is
Communities
?

97. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION
• Identification of Apolitical - Organised
Communities e.g Educational Institutes, Housing
Societies, Slum Dweller, Local Traders(?),
Markets(?).
• Identification of Resources persons from the
various Groups.
• Interaction and Awareness Building
• Circulation of Easy and simple IEC materials

98. 1. Establishing Institutional mechanism for
disaster prevention and Sustainablity
2. Emphasis on information collection and
analysis.
3. Situation Analysis for early warning
system for Planning
4. Mitigation of the impact of disasters
5. Preparedness and response
6. Capacity building and Community
resource development
INSTITUTIONAL
PARTICIPATION

99. THEN What Next ?For a Perfect Sustainable Planning: Specially
which effects the community maximum
like Disaster, The Must is…..
PARTICIPATE,
PLAN
AND
PERFORM

100. CONCLUSION?????
Frankly I do not know…
How could it be done
If you have, let us
Share

101. My Contact
• Cell No 9830251685
• E-mail ID tk.ghatak@gmail.com
Lets go together in Future