On the same line, a study by Indian Institue of Science stated that the green cover in Bhopal is degenerating at a very rapid speed which is a matter of high concern. The green cover in Bhopal has been reduced to 22% from 66%. Unplanned urbanisation is one of the main reason behind the reduced greenery. The study also stated that by 2018, it is expected to reach 11% and till 2030 the area might reduce into only 4.10%.
The study Modelling and visualisation of urban trajectory carried out by Prof T V Ramchandran and his team compared various images as well as measured the rate of past and future growth of urbanisation in four different cities. The degeneration in Bhopal has been considered among the most rapid one. The study also showed result about other cities that included Kolkata wherein the green area reduced from 23.4% to 7.3%, in Hyderabad the green area fell from 2.71% to 1.66% and the greenery in Ahmedabad shrunk from 46% to 24%.
Being shocked by the result of the study, the environmentalists in Bhopal stated four reasons for the degeneration that are unplanned urbanisation, reduction of the ground as well as surface water level, encroachment of city’s natural water bodies, show that city’s sustainable development plans have miserably failed.
However, Bhopal is still in better position than many other cities but the growing trend of concretising is very much evident. Researchers have classified the usage of land into four different groups. Urban or built-up area includes industrial and residential areas, paved surfaces which means that the built-up areas comprise of areas from other three categories -- water that includes lakes, drainages, reservoirs, vegetation, forests and plantation among others which consist of rocks, open land at building sites, unpaved roads, crop lands and many more.
On this Amitabh Pande, associate professor of sociology and community development, Indian Institute of Forest Management, added that although unplanned urbanisation is the major reason behind this shrinking greenery but Bhopal can be still saved. The town planners and the builders need to give responsibilities to protect the greenery rather than just depending upon the authorities to take respective initiatives.
Hence, it is the combined responsibility of both authorities and the developers to plan city’s urbanisation while retaining the essence of nature or greenery.