Indian Cities to face ecological stress, says satellite survey

The haphazard way in which the city is turning into a concrete jungle makes it vulnerable to severe ecological stress in near future, says a Lucknow University survey based on satellite data. The survey by the university's Geology department says lack of planning and focus exposes the city to civic problems like water-logging, and eats into the authorities dreams to make it at par with the best of metropolitan India. The satellite survey shows development agencies are making inappropriate planning; in their pursuit for a vertical and horizontal growth, they are not taking into consideration the land-suitability factor. If this goes on, the survey team says, even plush residential colonies would remain vulnerable to water-logging, damage of houses due to accumulated humidity and such civic problems. The departmens study has also listed several colonies in Hazratganj, New Hyderabad, Chowk and nearby areas as likely to face ecological stress in near future.! According to Dr Vibhuti Rai, a faculty at Advanced study in University of Geology department, As per our findings, removal of trees and water bodies to make way for projects would put these colonies under severe ecological stress.
Indian Express New Delhi Edition March 26 2007