Saptio-Temporal Analysis of Urbanisation and Urban Sprawl in Imphal, Manipur

Sprawl is an outgrowth of urban areas, often uncontrolled and uncoordinated, to the peripheries. Population growth is the main cause of urban growth. Imphal, the capital city of Manipur like many other Indian cities, attracts migrants from within the state as well as outside of it. Being the biggest and the only major city in the state with almost all administrative and other important institutions located therein, Manipur has experienced a wave of migrants, including government servants and other workers, in the last few decades. This led to a growth in the urban population as well as build-up expansion leading to urban sprawl. This paper attempts to identify land-use change and map urban sprawl in Imphal and its surroundings in a spatio-temporal context, covering a time period of 1970–2015. The study involves data collection from primary as well as secondary sources. Topographic sheets and satellite images have been used in the study. The study shows that there has been a remarkable land-use change and urban sprawl in the city during the last 45 years.