Introduction

Abstract

This chapter introduces the challenges of peri-urbanization and its implications with references to climate change. It also introduces the key questions that will be answered in the consecutive chapters on land use change and implications, public-private partnership governance model of health care under the AYUSH program and role of culture in protecting environment and health traditions combating climate change. An introduction to the study area, the semi-arid region of Bengaluru, Jadigenahalli, and methodology is also discussed in-depth in this chapter.

Annexures

1.1.1 Annexure 1.1: Jadigenahalli – Peri-Urban Fringe of Bengaluru City

1.1.1.1 Profile of the Study Area

Jadigenahalli Gram Panchayat, Hosakote Taluk, 32.3 kms off the city centre is located in the peri-urban area of growing Bengaluru city forming part of Bengaluru Metropolitan Region. Jadigenahalli Grama Panchayat belongs to Hoskote Taluk, Bangalore Rural District of Karnataka (Fig. 1.2), and is one of the 5 hoblis of Hoskote Taluk (Anugondanahalli, Kasaba, Nandagundi and Sulibele) located at a distance of 13 km from Hoskote Taluk and 37 km from Bangalore city.

Fig. 1.2

Study area and location of villages

Jadigenahalli Gram Panchayat is a small unit of administration in Hosakote, a taluk in Bengaluru Rural District. Agriculture, and horticulture are the primary occupations of people in this area, although ndustrialization in the recent times in Hosakote and places around has offered new employment opportunities for people. Hoskote is located on the eastern side of Bengaluru at the intersection of National Highway (NH) 4 and NH 207 (Fig. 1.2). Hosakote has a close proximity to Whitefield, that is a major IT hub of the Bangalore city, with a slew of IT companies and a large employment base; it has also evolved into a preferable destination for residential and retail development with a surge in the demand for residential units from Whitefield.

Industrial area in Hosakote has nearly 200 industrial units (Master Plan Hosakote) operated by global automotive brands such as VOLVO, Honda etc. Hosakote has a good connectivity to Whitefield (14 KM), Outer Ring Road (ORR) of Bangalore, and lies on the growth corridors of NH- 4 that connects Pune-Bengaluru-Chennai. The location has a close proximity to the proposed Peripheral Ring Road expected to reduce the travel time to nearby areas such as Whitefield, Hoodi, Marathahalli etc. upon completion.

There are 7 villages coming under the jurisdiction of Jadigenahalli Grama Panchayat – (1) Jadigenahalli; (2) Vadigenahalli; (3) Karibiranahosahalli; (4) Govindapura; (5) Haraluru; (6) Kolathur; and (7) Kurubaragollahalli. In the present study, we have considered five villages to study the various aspects. Hence, the information and data are restricted to these five villages. Data and information on geographical location, meteorological aspects, socio-economic status, agriculture (Cropping pattern), water sources, sanitation, ecology and culture are discussed in the following sections. (Village details presented in – Annex 1.2) The total geographical area of Jadigenahalli comes to 4155.48 hectares (Ha).

1.1.2 Annexure 1.2: Study Area

The villages coming under Jadigenahalli Gram panchayat are located within a 50 km radius from the growing city of Bengaluru. In 1985, Government of Karnataka constituted Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) with a statutory limit named Bangalore Metropolitan Region (BMR) with an area of 8005 sq.kms. The region has been further divided into six Local Planning Areas (LPAs) for effecting a better planning and development. Hoskote is one of such LPAs, an important urban center. Hoskote Local Planning Area comprises Hoskote Town and 299 villages under Hoskote Taluk and Jadigenahalli Gram Panchayat being part of the Hoskote LPA is located on Hoskote – Malur Road. The composition and population of the study area are presented in Tables 1.2 and 1.3 (Figs. 1.3, 1.4 and 1.5).

Table 1.2 Composition of Jadigenahalli gram panchayat

Table 1.3 Types of housing under Jadigenahalli gram panchayat (%)

Fig. 1.3

Location of Jadigenahalli gram panchayat

Fig. 1.4

Villages Surveyed under Jadigenahalli gram panchayat. (Source: Google earth map, Scale 1:2 km)

Fig. 1.5

Annual rainfall

Jadigenahalli is situated at a latitude of 13° 3′ North and a longitude of 77° 51′ east, and is 913 feet above the mean sea level. The temperatures of this regions range from 32–36° Celsius during the summer season (IMD) and in the rainy season from 28–30° Celsius and from 27–28° Celsius during the winter season. The normal average annual rainfall pattern of Jadigenahalli Grama Panchayat amounts to 750.4 mm. However, the rainfall pattern, on an average, over the period 1989–2013 shows normal rainfall (750.99 mm). The figure below indicates that rainfall recorded was above normal for 1991, 1993, 2005 and 2008, with a declining trend observed for 2012 and 2013 (Annex 1.3).

1.1.3 Annexure 1.3: Socio-Economic Status

A majority of the people are dependent on agriculture and agricultural labour for their livelihoods. Dependency on private employment is second in order (factories and brick making units). Over the past two decades, there has been a drastic change observed in the development activities in and around Jadigenahalli GP. Since villages are located nearer (10 Km) to the urban towns – Hoskote and Bangalore – there is a lot of urban influence observed on the villages. Several industries also have come up over the last 20 years, attracting people from other states like Orissa, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Assam for employment opportunities. Jadigenhalli GP has 47% of Joint families and 53% of nuclear families. In Vadigehalli, Jadigenhalli and Govindhpura, a majority of the people live in joint families.

1.1.4 Annexure 1.4: Population and Households

There is a marginal increase in the growth rate of population, while the number of households has increased with division of land over generations. The people are mostly Hindus, with a few Christian families residing in these villages. Gowdas, Thigalas, Bhovis, Dobbis, Brahmins, Naidus and Kurubas constitute the major community groups settled in this region (Fig. 1.6). A large proportion of the population belongs to OBC category, while the percentage of SC and ST is comparatively less. Commonly spoken languages include Kannada, Telugu and Tamil. RCC and Semi Kaccha buildings are more visible as compared to other structures with electricity as a common lighting source. For cooking, 75–80% use LPG and the rest, fire wood and Kerosene.

Fig. 1.6

Growth rates of Jadigenahalli in terms of HHs and population at two different points of time (%)

1.1.5 Annexure 1.5: Literacy Rate

Literacy rates have gradually increased over a period of two decades. The impact of Karnataka’s target of providing primary education by 2007 and higher primary education by 2010 seems to have led to a positive trend (Fig. 1.7). Increased investments in terms of time, efforts and resources are seen as the main cause for an increase in the literacy rates in Karnataka (Human Resource Karnataka, ISEC). Besides, mid-day meals programme being implemented since 1995 by the Central Government as part of encouraging enrolments, retention and attendance also seems to have contributed to literacy improvements in the state, including these study villages. Access to towns and Bangalore through good transportation facilities has made a positive influence on the literacy rates among the populace in the villages, reaching up to 71% literacy by 2011.

Fig. 1.7

Literacy rate

1.1.6 Annexure 1.6: Gender Status

An interesting point to be noted in respect of these villages is that the female population is found higher than male population for 1991 and 2001, but for 2011, this situation seems slightly different due to family planning programmes initiated by the Government. The literacy rates of the villages for 1991 and 2011 have also changed, indicating that education and urbanisation have influenced them in preferring one or two children per family which was not the case earlier. During earlier times, the general view of people was that a family would be complete only with the birth of a male child and hence, irrespective of the number of girl children born, they would continue their efforts until the birth of a male child. This could be the reason behind an increase in the number of females.

1.1.7 Annexure 1.7: Domestic and Drinking Water Sources

People were dependent on open wells as a major source of drinking and domestic water until 1991 (Haraluru, Vadigenahalli, Karibeeranahosahalli and Govindapura) with Jadigenahalli having a piped water connection sourced from a bore well. After 2001, the sources changed to tube wells and tanks in Jadigenahalli and hand pumps in Vadigehalli and Govindapura (See Annexure). Currently, the common source of water (for drinking and domestic usage) across all the villages is piped water supply sourced from bore wells under the PWS scheme of the Grama Panchayat. All the five study villages come under the semi-arid region of Karnataka with ground water as the only source for agriculture, domestic use and livestock activities. In the absence of other sources of water, there is a considerable pressure observed on ground water resource. Our discussions with the respondents reveal that, in all the study villages, tanks have dried up since many years. For drinking water, about 80% of the HHs are dependent on piped water supply by the Government through panchayat, while about 54% of the HHs are dependent on the same source for livestock. The supply of water for domestic use is not sufficient with many disputes observed among the communities over sharing of water. For agriculture, 56% of the HHs have own bore-wells for irrigation.