Land use types and green areas

Land use types and green areas

Green areas are usually of various and within an urban area, its type differ from place to place and also depend on the type of land use present. Each land use is characterized by a different type of green area with some having huge amount while some less and with some having more opportunity to grow more greens while some having more deteriorating power towards greens. So a detailed study was done which shows the type and characteristic of green spaces in different type of land uses which is as follows:

Figure 20.17: Land use map of Vijayawada showing the different land uses highlighting the green spaces Source: Primary • Industrial area - this zone is dominated by industries - in the north the industrial area is in

Kondapalli covering an area of 439 acres and in the southern part of the city is Autonagar covering an area of 340 acres. They have major industrial air pollution and emissions. The air pollution concentrations of conventional pollutants like SO2, NOx, RSPM and TSPM is observed majorly due to existing industries.

Air pollutants have a negative effect on plants growth, affecting the function of leaves and the process of photosynthesis. The dust particles and pollutants in these areas cover the leaf blades reducing light penetration and blocking the opening of stomata. These are the most toxic pollutants for the plants and in industrial area as the amount of particulate matter in the atmosphere is very high, makes it dangerous for plants. Most of the plants are dead also in this area. Moreover, the vegetation is also less. So, the plant species or vegetation planned in the city should have resistant species to air pollution and able to thrive under heavy polluted environment. More growth in vegetation so that this

vegetation can filter the particulate pollutants. Plants with higher APTI i.e., resistant to pollutants should be planted in this area

The burning of toxic waste and fuels in industrial estates has led to a deterioration in air quality in the city in recent times. An increase in the number of industries on the outskirts of the city and unscientific treatment of industrial waste at Jawahar Autonagar and other industrial estates are major factors for the high levels of particulate matter-10 (PM-10) in the city. Jawahar Autonagar is the largest industrial estate in Andhra

Pradesh which employs around 2.5 lakh people, who work in these polluted and unhygienic conditions. Several respiratory disorders have also come up with no action plan yet to handle this. • Canal sides - Vijayawada urban area is having 3 canals flowing through the city.

This gives another zone which is on the banks of these canals, which can be encouraged to grow lush green vegetation. Ample supply of water from the canals is there which can add to the greenery for developing parks & waking tracks but there is no such dedicated parks and tracks except for only one park developed on Krishna River which adds tourist attraction and generates revenue for the corporation. More such parks can be developed by integrating the blue green infrastructure which can add to the greenery as well as good environment. • Residential areas – Vijayawada has a huge percentage of residential sector. The residential sectors are being developed at the periphery of the city. These spaces hardly have any or with very less vegetation cover in residential complexes green spaces. Most of people don’t have home gardens or lawns. So, it is strongly felt here that the vegetative cover for the upcoming residential complexes should be made compulsory and strategies should be applied to increase greenery at individual houses. Moreover, residential green spaces have many advantages also in local level for the city as well as the residents. In residential complexes the type of vegetation to be promoted should be different type of vegetative cover compare to the individual houses. • Commercial areas - the commercial area in Vijayawada which is commercial capital of

Andhra Pradesh almost occupies ¼th of the total city area. These areas are characterized by tall buildings and narrow roads which are devoid of vegetation. So, vegetation should be grown here for balancing the urban environment and that too of innovative type like creeper type of plants which can grow on the terrace of the buildings and can come down.

Optimum care should be taken to water them regularly there the vegetation can grow well. • Traffic area: this zone is the neighborhood of state and national highways which will have lot of vehicles plying on the highways which results in the pollution arising due to traffic

with the increase in traffic density the traffic pollution is on the rise. Here the trees along the highways are exposed to heavy traffic pollution so this zone also requires such type of trees which can with stand traffic pollution but will not be an abstraction to traffic. So, the trees should not spread horizontally on the highways. They should withstand the turbulence caused by the speedy vehicular traffic along the highway.

The incidence of tree branches suddenly falling on passersby is omnipresent in monsoon at various parts of the city. Few residents alleged that several appeals have been made to the horticulture department to cut down the low hanging branches.

However, their appeals have not reached the officials. Every year, before monsoon, the civic body axe down trees and its branches to avert any mishap. Despite these measures, the last six years have witnessed at least five people succumbing to trees or branches falling. Majority of the staff confine themselves to plant saplings on the central medians, but not removing the old aged tree branches in the city. Moreover, it is the electricity department which has been axing the low-lying tree branches across the city to avoid electricity interruption. • Hill areas: the hills of Vijayawada are devoid of vegetation mostly. Environmentalists opined that bare hills devoid of vegetation adds to the temperature in the city. In this case the resulted temperature is not only from the direct solar radiation but also the one reflected from the hills. So, suitable vegetation over the hill will reduce the temperature. There is a hill opposite to Vijayawada Railway station where Gandhi Statue is situated lot of vegetation is planted on the hills. It is observed both the temperatures as well as reflected radiation were reduced due to this vegetation on the slopes of the hills. However, the soil is scarce and it is rocky type so the plants which can survive such conditions as well as the slope, should be planted. Moreover, the degradation of vegetation here also leads to minor landslides along the hill slopes.