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Application of Remote Sensing and GIS techniques in monitoring of urban sprawl in and around Jharia coalfields (Dhanbad)

Vinay Kumar Srvastava
Assistant Professor of Geophysics
Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad

Abstract
Integration of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) provides a mean to update theme oriented informations and mapping of dynamic features of earth surface for better management and planning. Using this characteristics an attempt has been made to study urban sprawl since 1974 till 1990 in an around Jharia Coalfield (Dhanbad) where coal is being exploited for the last hundred years. The results have shown that the rate of urban growth around 4% per year in the region leading to almost 60% increse in area during the last 16 years. Urban sprawl has basically taken place on surrounding agricultural and flat upland but not on derelict land generated by the mining operations. Such developments have spoiled the aesthetic of land and physical environment in general.

Introduction
Rapid industralisation causes haphazard and unplanned growth of urban centres which becomes more complicated but the fact that it must take place within the built up area. This pressure of continuously growing population results in over crowding and become brurden to limited civic cycle amenities which forces the middle class as well as builders to move to outlying suburbs, a phenomenon called Urban Sprawl or Growth.

This irregular growth of urban area consumes agricultural and flat upland on their periphery. Such urban development ultimately snowball into a liability when they become part of the city as far as infrastructural facilities are concerned. Therefore proper planning has to be done for controlled and regulatory growth of urban centres. Basic requirements for such planning outdated. They required to be updated and revised. But updating of existing map by conventional means takes much time and also by the time it is made available to planner, it lack real time information's.

At this point remote sensing techniques which gathers data about earth's surface features in raster form on a periodic basis and geographic information system (G. I. S.) which helps in analysis and integration of relational data base containing both spatial and aspatial details through automated machine processing system provides and alternative means for the mapping of dynamic features on regular intervals. By such integrated study it is possible to take relevant decisions at the appropriate time by the urban planners (Shelton & Estes. 1981).

Walsh et. At (1990) have shown that the thematic overlays contained within GIS could be used as reference sources for defining the spatial location of phenomenon and also for comparing such phenomenon against identified features employing digital processing of remote sensing images and selected thematic overlays integrated with in GIS, where digital enhancements are apprised with greater capability then by use of remote sensing for GIS alone.

The general methodology followed for integration is to convert remote sensing data into a geometrically corrected thematic map on grid square elements of GIS or alternatively integrated with other data elements of G. I. S. Conecpts of both the techniques are shown in block diagramme 'la' and 'lb' respectively (after curran (1985)).

Finally once a theme oriented GIS is created it becomes easier to study the process of planning and management of land by (i) indicating how changes and improvement in the existing situation can be achieved, (ii) Considering what effects can be expected as consequence of the change envisaged.

In the present study techniques of remote sensing and GIS have been applied in monitoring of urban growth since 1975 in and around famous Jharia Coalfield covering an area of 720 Sq. Km. of Dhanbad District (India), using methodology as shown in 'la' block diagram. The thematic maps obtained from processed remote sensing imagery have been compared with available maps and integrated and analysed in reference to database of 1974 for delineating change status till 1990.

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