Chapter 5- Spatial Pattern of urbanization trends in the Peninsula

5.1 Urbanized Areas in the Peninsula in 1960s

Analysis of aerial photographs revealed that Jaffna, , Chunnakam, , Nelliyady, Valvetithurai Urumpirai and were urbanized areas in the in 1960s. Jaffna town consisted Main Street, Hospital Road, Kasthriyar Road, Temple Road, Kantharmadam, Kurunagar, Pasaiyoor as urbanized areas. Other than Jaffna town, all other seven were small satellite towns. Except Jaffna town, other urbanized areas were too small compare to the Jaffna town. The urban area added up to 8700 ha in 1960 and comprised 8% ofthe study area whiCh was a small part Y• ofthe Jaffna Peninsula. Nearly 75% of the total urbanized areas i n' N60s were found in the Jaffna town. Figure-5.1 Shows the urbanized areas in the Jaffna Peninsula i!11960s.

Figure 5.1 Urbanized Areas in the Jaffna Peninsula in 1960

Legend

- BUi lt Up Area Source \enal Photograph of Sui"\ e~ Depannh?ll t of <;ri Lanl-a Jaffna Pentnsula

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• 5.2 Urbanization During 1960-1989

During this period, the total urbanized areas increased due to two processes; emerging new towns and expansion of existing towns. During the period of 1960- 1989, the towns which existed in 1960s were further expanded due to the growth of urban population and built up areas. In addition to the urbanized areas which were in 1960s, there was new town centers, Pandeterippu, Manipay and Chankanai emerged as new town centers during this period.

In case of expansion of existing town centers during this period, the most expansion took place around the Jaffna town. Jaffna town was expanded in all directions except the southern direction which is constrained by the . In the Northern direction, the Jaffna town was expanded up to Thirunevely. along the ~ly.., Road,. in the eastern side, up to along the , up to Nachchimar Kovilady in the North Western direction along the KKS Road, up to Nallur in the North Eastern direction along the Point Pedro Road. This increase was the "t"esult of ribbon development along Jaffna - Point Pedro road, Jaffna- KKS road, Jaffna- Thellipalai road. The establishment of the in 1976 promoted more development leading to u-rbanization in the surroundings ofThirunelvely areas.

In addition to the expansion of Jaffna town, there were significant growths around Point Pedro town and Chunakam town as well. In areas east and west of Chavakachcheri, there was considerable ribbon development along A9 road too. Figure 5.2 shows the urbanized areas in 1989.

70 Figure 5.2 Land Use/Cover Map of Jaffna Peninsula 1989.

N

Built-up-land D Homesteads D Cropped* lowland • Cropped upland • Tree crops D Grassland Scrubland • Forest • Barren land D Suit p01ne • Mmshlnnd ' ' ~~ - Water

~ 0---- 25 km I •

I Source: Analysis Based on Landsat MSS ,· · J • 5.3 Urbanization During 1989 to 1999

During this period too, emergence of new town centers and expansion of existing town centers could be observed. The substantial expansion of urban areas took place North and North Eastern directions of the Jaffna town during this period. Because, the town development in the center of the Jaffna town; Main Street, Kurunagar, Koddadi, Hospital roads were severely affected due to the war centered in the Jaffna Fort. Jaffna town area had further expanded up to Kondavil beyond Thirunevely in the Northern side, up to Kokuvil in the North Western part and up to Kalviyankadu in the North Eastern direction. The continuous easterly expansion ofthe Jaffna town was constrained by the Upparu Lagoon bordering the eastern part of the town. The area within a 5 km radius of Jaffna town was almost completely urban. In the outer areas, ribbon

development was observed along Jaffna Point Pedco road beyond K:alv~i~ankadu, Jaffna - Palaly road beyond Kondavil, Jaffna - Manipay road, Jaffna - Thellipalai r0ad. The ribbon development along Jaffna - Vaddukodai road was constrained by Kallundai Lagoon and low lying areas. Further there were new satellite town centers emerged in this period, Kodikamam and Achchuvely. Figure 5.3 shows the urbanized areas in 1999.

5.4 Changes During 1999 to 2005

During the period of 1999 to 2005, the urban area had increased to 22,000 ha. which accounted for 21% of the extent of total study area. Considerable expansion around the Jaffna town in this period took place in the North, North East and in the North Western part of the town. Kondavil and Urumpirai in the North, Kopay and Irupalai in the North East, Innuvil and Maruthanarmadam in the North West became semi urbanized. There were further expansion of other small towns, Point Pedro town, Nelliyady town, Manipay town and Chankanai town. Few towns experienced declined in this period due to the war which was going on in the and Wanni. The Chanvakachcheri town, Palai, Kodikamam and Kaithadi were affected in this period and the growth declined. Figure 5.4 Shows urbanized areas in 2005.

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• Figure 5.3 Land Use/Cover Map of Jaffna Peninsula 1999.

i'J

• Built-up-land D Homesteads* D Cropped lowland • Croppeu upland • Tree crops D Grassland D Scrubland • Forest • Bmren lund D Salt pane • Mmshlflnd o·~ • Water

~ I G 0- --- 2sim

Source: Analysis Based on Landsat TM •

73 Figure 5.4 Land Use/Cover Map of Jaffna Peninsula 2005

N

• Built-up-land D Homesteads* D Cropped lowland • Cropped upland • Tree crops D Grassland D Scrubland • Forest D Clouds • Barrenland D Salt pane ' ~ • Marshland • Water

~ 0---- 25 km • Source: Analysis Based on Using IRS LISS III

74 5.5 Type of Lands Transformed into Urban Use

In case of Jaffna town, north and north-east of Jaffna town, about 70% of the conversions to urban use were from agricultural lands and the rest from village settlements. When the population of Jaffna town increased, the town was expanded into the adjacent lands used for agriculture in the Kalviyankadu, Thirunevely. In the North Western part of Jaffna town, conversion to urban use was mostly from village settlements. In the Western part of the town, the town expansion absorbed the barren lands. In the eastern part of the town, paddy lands were converted into urban use. This same conversion pattern continued for both periods 1960-1989 and 1999-2005.

5.6 Spatial Patterns of Land Use ,. .., Agricultural lands still cover half of the Peninsula, but their area has incJeased and decreased in different time intervals due to the three decades of war in the North. Only 9.3% of the total land in the Peninsula is coveredby inland water. Several ponds and the Thondamanaru lagoon system are the major components of the water coverage. Because water covers a small area, only a small pattern of change was found for water.

5.7 Changes in Spatial Patterns

The maps demonstrated significant landscape transitions during the study period. Most of the agricultural lands near existing built-up areas in the Peninsula were transformed into urban/built-up lands, whereas shrubs and Palmyra grove were converted into agricultural lands elsewhere in the rural periphery.

Three major land use transitions were observed during the period of 1960-1989. The agricultural lands (1.96% of the total land) in the Peninsula, mostly in close proximity to the road and existing built-up periphery, were converted to urban/built-up areas. In the

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• northwestern peninsula, much of the agricultural lands were converted to forest lands due to the high security zones while in the northeastern area the Palmyra groves changed to agricultural lands. The transitions between the other land uses were found to be very small during this period.

An intensive war was ravaging the development during the 1990s. The war significantly decreased the urbanization process in that decade, which can be easily discerned during the years 1990-2000. The agricultural lands near the city in the north (Kondavil), North West (Innuvil), and in the north east (Kopay) began to be transformed to urban/built-up areas. During this period, a significant amount of agricultural land (3.9%) was changed to urban built-up lands, with urbanization following the road networks and existing built-up peripheries. In the meantime, the other land uses also contributed to the urbanization process at lower rates. Large proportions. of shrub~ ..,(2.~%) and Palmyra (2.8%) lands were transformed into agricultural land in the surrounding rural areas in the peninsula. This can be observed mostly in the north Eastern border of the city,.and may be due to conversion of agricultural lands to built-up areas in the urban fringes, which forced the farmers to migrate in vicinities in one hand. On the other hand, due to road expansion and market accessibility to rural areas, farmers were encouraged to develop agricultural activities in the rural areas and had spread on the nearby paddy and Palmyra lands. The land use transition continued in 1989-2005 A different phenomenon of land conversion is observed in this period as compared to the earlier time period. The transformation of agricultural land into urban/built-up areas was increased (4.4%), but the transformation of the other land uses into agricultural lands remarkably decreased. Palmyra (0.36%) and shrubs (0.19%) lands were also changed to built-up areas as a result of the expansion of rural roads in the 1990s. Figure 5.5 shows the transition of urban built-up areas over the other land uses since 1960s, which makes the spatial patterns of urbanization clearer. The spatial pattern of urban growth is observed at different forms at different time in different places.

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• Figure 5.5 Urbanized Areas in Jaffna Since 1960 to 2005

1960

, .,.,.

.#

Legend

- Bw tl Ui A u~ .. , .... . ~ u u· \ l·ro.ll P h•' l ·•~.; l oph .,j ' '~I\''\ l..._p.UIIIH'III I>I ..., ,. I 11 1~.1 Jartn a P'li!l"llll'>•.Jia

1989

• E:-•1"~ ~nd C Horr ~ s•E. M'!> - -.,Orf"'"j* ;).~~.lfld 1• :- :lh'OPf-ed t.Jf'l) f\0 - S(IUt:>00\1 . FO'e-!>1 - Satl0!'!1k•'¥l I ~ C s~r..)O.' • Mat~l•ld . .."1!f't

.""-. :'"'lo.m

rr 1999

- B~Jt 1t• Llnd - Hon~te-ad'> 0 Crr.r;·po:·11ov.larl>j • •-ltf-"f=-.dU(-1.)•1 - * lfH-·~fO("r;)<,!>Jlf\.J • Sat.t:~'lnd • Fcr...,t . [:o.. m;-nlar-1

I '

...... - -::.'J ~

2005 • &an-UJJ .;:mJ ~ ~ne51E".ld!o • ;rc~k).<.qf'ld • :n· r~ ut:.C.~r,j* . TI~CI·.:O::>S • :;.,as.si:tt~ . S(flbl l TXI · F·-"(e<:>t D• e;:w,..,..).,.jucts D Satp.~ . t.MJShlao;:l • •••at.:•

~-tr.m

77

... Little clusters away from the urban areas can be discerned until 1989. The start of agglomeration between the urban patches is noticed in the 1990s. Refill development connecting the several urban fringe patches and more heterogeneous landscape development in the existing built-up periphery can be observed by 2000.

5.8 Land Use Fragmentation

Planners and policy makers are normally concerned about the negative effects of land use fragmentation and heterogeneity development. There are two processes that can result in these effects, namely the reduction of the total amount of land with a specific land use (decrease in size), and the breaking up of land use into smaller patches (increase in isolation of the land use patches). This process will also be followed by an increase in the total amount of edges in some cases. Agricultural ~xpapsion in the rural . '" areas, urban development, and transportation infrastructure development in tbe peninsula over time are regarded as the main processes that influence land use fragmentation and heterogeneity development.

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