Research article

ENCROACHMENT OF SLUMS CAUSED MASSIVE DEGRADATION OF URBAN FORESTS – AN OVERVIEW OF KHARAGPUR CITY, WEST BENGAL

Madhumita Ghosh

Online First: December 18, 2022


The growth of slums in cities is deteriorating the urban forests and it creating environmental crisis in the form of spread of diseases, ill- health and have become a threat not only in the metropolitan or million cities but also in the developing class I cities like Kharagpur located in south–western part of Paschim Medinipur District, West Bengal. Kharagpur city is the fourth biggest city and the fifth most populated city of West Bengal with an all-out populace of 2,93,719 (2011) located in south-western part of Paschim Medinipur District, West Bengal. The study is based on Primary data collected from 5 slum wards of Kharagpur city. The objectives of the present study are to analyze the rapid growth of the Urban slums and its degraded impact upon the natural vegetation in the slum areas of Kharagpur city, West Bengal. Poverty is an inseparable part of slum dwellers. So, the slum population is backward socially and economically. Because of the industrial growth by multi-national companies the under deprived, distress, overcrowded population, migrants from the neighbouring states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa migrate to the Kharagpur city for job opportunities. Fringe areas of forested land are accumulated by congested settlement of urban population. Hence, better employment opportunities, expansion of social education have to be adopted for the slum improvement and bettering of well being.

Keywords

Natural Vegetation, Slums, Urbanization, Urban Landscape