Mapping of environs of Dharavi slums of Greater Bombay for site suitability using enhanced Landsat thematic mapper (TM) imagery

Abstract

Slums are universal and a ubiquitous part of the urban landscape. Dharavi, the biggest slum in the whole of Greater Bombay, encompasses 4.0 sq.km. of reclaimed land with 3.50 lakh inhabitants and 75,000 hutments. Majority of the slums of Indian cities, being structurally small with high density of dwellings and uniform building material, seldom give subtle ’spectral signature’ on the satellite imagery.

Here, an attempt has been made to map by visual techniques the land use of Dharavi and environs of 20 sq.km area, using optically enhanced Landsat (TM) FCC of January, 1986, on 1:25,000 sale,

The study has clearly brought out the land use details, the areas undergoing reclamation, and those susceptible to hazards like floods and marine erosion. A few alternate sites, based on geomorphic attributes are suggested for resettlement of Dharavislum and their areas are also quantified.

The results of the present work is a part of the project study completed for a larger area covering 150sq. kms.