In the last 17 years, our nation has transformed into a sprawling concrete jungle. From 2005 to 2023, the construction area in the country has increased by 25 lakh hectares. This information comes from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) in Hyderabad under ISRO, indicating a significant surge in urbanization and infrastructure development over the years.
The annual report from NRSC points to an approximate 31% increase in land use and cover from 2005-06 to 2022-23. During this period, the construction area has grown by 35%, with an addition of 2.4% to the land cover. This construction area includes not only buildings but also infrastructures such as roads.
For example, between 2005 and 2023, Gujarat experienced a 175% increase, Karnataka 109%, Andhra Pradesh 94%, Madhya Pradesh 75%, and West Bengal 58% in the expansion of national highways. The report indicates that agricultural land is also being converted into construction zones.
According to NRSC, the construction areas include roofs over structures, paved surfaces like roads and parking lots, commercial and industrial sites such as ports, landfills, quarries, airstrips, and areas of urban greenery including parks and gardens. This underlines the rapid development of infrastructure across the nation.
However, there's a problem: using agricultural land for construction purposes is detrimental. It harms farmers, stripping away their livelihoods. Due to inadequate compensation, farmers have protested. For instance, there was opposition to the development of NH-56 from Vapi to Shamlaji in Gujarat.
Source: aajtak
In February 2024, farmers in Madhya Pradesh also protested against land acquisition for the development of the western ring road in Indore and the Indore-Budhni rail link.
