An assessment of environmental degradation: Case study of Avaniyapuram town panchayat, Madurai

The present attempt has been made to study the environmental degradation of the southern fringe area of Madurai city. The investigation is focused on Avaniyapuram town panchayat which comprises of three villages namely Avaniyapuram, Ayyanpappagudi and Kalkulam. Here, the geomatic technique is used to analyze the environmental issues as it gives an apparent spatial dimension of the problem, which otherwise cannot be achieved through a traditional approach. The major environmental problems identified are the unplanned residential expansion, ground water depletion and improper solid waste disposal. The analysis is carried out sequentially in three stages. Initially the landuse change detection is done for two time points through remote sensing and cadastral data for the region and secondly the quality of the ground water is assessed by collecting water samples and testing its chemical parameters in laboratory. Finally, the solid waste disposal site has been surveyed and the ground water around the site is tested. It is inferred from the analysis that water bodies has been encroached for residential use and drinking water has been depleted in western and south part of the study area and improper solid waste disposal has made 32% of ground water unfit for domestic purpose.