Nagpur's built-up area has surged by nearly 94% since 1985 and now covers 67.81% of the city's municipal limits as of 2019. The sprawling growth, documented through official development data, has raised concerns over sustainability, heat vulnerability, and climate resilience.
The data was compiled after the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which sourced and analysed records from multiple government agencies to map the city's growth trends.
The built-up area stood at 73.76 sq km in 1985, accounting for 34.95% of the city's 211 sq km municipal area. Over 34 years, it grew by 69.34 sq km to reach 143.1 sq km by 2019. The most significant expansion occurred between 1985 and 2000, adding 34.97 sq km, followed by 21.99 sq km between 2000 and 2010. The pace slowed after 2010, with only 4.3 sq km added between 2015 and 2019.
The UNDP report revealed that the climatological data for Nagpur from 1991 to 2020 across the March to June period reveals a clear pattern of intensifying heat as the summer months progress. Relative humidity, meanwhile, shows a reverse trend. Overall, the data underlines the severe and prolonged pre-monsoon heat stress in Nagpur, particularly in May, which coincides with peak urban activity and vulnerability.
According to the figures, the city now houses 4,34,972 cement structures and has 1,26,441 open plots. Urban planners warn that this growth has come at the expense of green zones, water bodies, and agricultural land, compounding the city's vulnerability to extreme weather.
Supporting data from the UNDP, in its recent Geo-Spatial Analysis of Heatwave and Flood Risk in Nagpur city, underscores the consequences. The report, now guiding NMC's urban planning, identified Sitabuldi Market, Itwari, Cotton Market, the Bhandewadi dumping yard and 10 other areas as heatwave-prone zones.
In response, NMC has initiated a heat action plan. Municipal commissioner Abhijeet Chaudhari directed officials to launch a pilot project using heat-reflective paint on civic buildings and select residential rooftops. The goal is to reduce indoor temperatures and evaluate the paint's effectiveness. A detailed impact report and short- and long-term measures to combat heatwaves have been mandated.
NMC has also shifted focus to rainwater harvesting and groundwater replenishment to complement heat mitigation. As part of its cement concrete (CC) road project, the civic body is constructing 136 recharge shafts along 33 cement roads. These deep vertical shafts collect rainwater and direct it underground, reducing runoff and waterlogging while enhancing aquifer recharge in urban areas.
The city has 4,400km of roads, including around 700km of cement roads. The increasing impervious surfaces have amplified the risks of flash floods and surface runoff.
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