16

CHAPTER II

GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND OF THE MYSORE

CITY

2.1INTRODUCTION TO THE MYSORE CITY

For any kind of research the knowledge of the geographical background of the study

area is a must as it provides information about the brief history of the area, location,

climate, geology, soil, drainage and infrastructural facility like road net work, and

other economic and educational facilities available in the study area.

Mysore is a unique city and was the capital of former princely state of Karnataka. It

has kept alive the royal traditions and splendor. It is one of the best developed cities

in Karnataka state and also a well-known trading and commercial centre with a

number of Educational Institutions. Mysore city is the second largest and second

fastest growing city in the state of Karnataka. This is also popularly known as the as

the ―Cultural Capital of Karnataka.‖ The city is situated in saucer-shaped basin lies in

between Chamundi Hills (1085 mts) in the South – East and plateau in the North-

West. The city is located in the extreme southern part of Karnataka at 12º 18‘ north

latitude and 76 º 39‘ east longitudes (Map-1) at an average mean sea level about 772

meters. It is surrounded by Hassan, Mandya and Bangalore districts on the North, by

Chamarajnagar district on the South and East and by Kodagu district in the West. The

city spreads across an area of 128.42Km with a total population of 9, 14,919 persons

as per 2011census. The average rainfall of the city is around 789.20mm. According to

Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA), the total area of Mysore city, which

7569 hectares in 1995 has increased to9221 hectares in 2001 representing a growth

rate of 22%.The total area has further increased to 15669 hectares in 2011

representing a growth rate of 60%.Mysore city is a divisional headquarters and is also

the garden city of India. It is well connected by road and rail routes with the

adjoining states of Kerala and Tamilnadu. In a way, Mysore city serves as a growth

center with an intention to release the stress on the Bangalore metropolitan city.

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Map:2.1: Location map

18

2.2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE CITY

The History of Mysore is closely linked to the history of the Kingdom of Mysore.

The place corresponds with the Mahismati- the place of Pandava prince Sahadeva‘s

expedition mentioned in Mahabharata. It is also found in the Buddhist literature as

‗Mahisa‘ where the great emperor Ashokahad sent his mission in the 3rd century B.C.

to proclaim the religion of Buddha. Again this place is mentioned in some

inscriptions belonging to the 11th and 12th centuries A.D as ‗Maisurnad‘ or

‗Mahisuru, Mahisuru means the place of Mahisa who has been described as a demon

with a buffalo head who was killed by Goddess Chamundi to establish good over evil.

Since then, ‗Mahisura‘ became Mahishauru and after some time the present name

Mysore came into usage and is quite familiar to all in this version. The archaeological

records give an evidence to understand that at the beginning of 16th century the

present site of Mysore was occupied by a village called Purugere, which was located

in Vijayanagar Empire. A chieftain of this area had acquired the quality of great

warrior and then became powerful and he assumed the title of ‗Wodeyar‘. The

‗Wodeyar‖ became a ruler with headquarters at Purugere after the downfall of

Vijayanagar empire. His successors continued to rule after paying tributary to the

viceroy at Srirangapatna until the power of the viceroy became weak and finally

declared their independence. They moved their capital from Mysore to Sriranapatna

which led to the stagnation of Mysore city.In 1761, the Wodeyars became subservient

to the (or heads) of the hereditary state minister and General, and the state was

transformed into a Muslim state under Haider Ali. He kept the representative of the

Hindu dynasty as state prisoners in their own palace at Srirangapatna. Haider Ali

(1761-99) and Tippu Sultan tried to erase all traces of the Hindu Rajas and hence

razed the ancient residence of the Raja to ground and deported all inhabitants of the

city to Srirangapatna. In 1799, Tippu Sultan was defeated and killed by the British

and the original Wodeyar dynasty of Mysore was restored. The construction of the

fort and palace was resumed and the work was completed by 1800. Mysore once

again came into prominence after it was reinstated as the capital under the Wodeyars.

Between 1831 and 1881, the State was placed under the administration of the British

Commissioners. The dispossessed king however continued to live in his palace at

Mysore.ChamarajaWodeyar, the adopted son of Krishnaraja Wodeyar111 (1800-

19

1868), was recognized as the rightful heir to the throne when he came of age in 1881.

Between 1881 and the post-independence reorganization of the States in 1956, the

Princely state of Mysore under the successive Wodeyars and their able Dewans like

Sir M Vishweshwaraiah, Sir Mirza Ismail and Tambu Chetty continued to remain as

one of the model States. Mysore State and the city had many firsts to their credit.

Planned industrialization was attempted and the city planning was also introduced as

far back as 1903 when a City Improvement Trust Board was formed. Most parts of the

Mysore City were planned as extensions and private development was the least in the

city. In1916, Mysore established the second oldest University in South India and

named it as University of Mysore. Until the shifting of the capital of the State to

Bangalore after independence, Mysore occupied a prime place among the cities of the

State. In 1897, the old palace was destroyed by fire and the same year the

reconstruction of the palace was started. In 1902, on attaining the age of 18 years,

Krishnaraja Wodeyar1Vwas invested with the ruling powers. The construction of the

Palace was completed in 1911-12. During this period the successive Wodeyar rulers

initiated a number of development works at Mysore. Thus Mysore city became

prosperous then onwards the city of Mysore was under the Wodeyar dynasty up to the

days of independence, and even after that till the reorganization of the states. After the

state was incorporated into the Indian Union, since independence, the City Municipal

Council became a wholly elected body and started administering the development and

maintenance of the city. The City Planning Authority was constituted till 1974. In

1978, Mysore was upgraded as a Municipal Corporation.

Today Mysore is a modern city that has managed to retain its quaint old world charm.

Today Mysore city is famous in the world for its sandalwood and artifacts, stone

sculptures, incense sticks, inlay work with ivory, and its exquisite silk saris.

2.3 GEOGRAPHIC SETTING OF THE CITY

Mysore city is amidst beautiful, sylvan surroundings with the majestic Chamundi

Hills at an altitude of 1,085 meters above the mean sea level acting as a backdrop to

the city complex. One third of the city on the northern side is by the river Cauvery and

the southern two thirds of the city are by the river Kabini. Mysore lies on a spur, an

extension of the Coorg highlands, around which the river Cauvery and one of its

tributaries, the Kabini, skirt. The city acts as a water divide for many small rivulets

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with elevated ridges on the east and west. There is thus a great natural divergence in

gradient within the city. It ranges from 1 to 100 mts in certain places to steeper

gradients of 1 to 50 mts in other areas. There is a convergence of slopes towards the

core of the city from all sides. The general slope of the city can be likened to that of a

flat saucer with a wide rim. The rim which is better drained area which was formerly

occupied by several places. These have now been converted into institutes of research

and higher learning.

Lalita Mahal Palace and the Race Course are situated on elevated ground on the east.

The northern, elevated part of the city is built up with St. Philomena‘s Church, the

small-scale industrial establishments, the Yadavagiri residential extension and the

industrial suburb located on an elevated surface on the northwest. On the west, the

elevated rim is occupied by the Central Food Technological Research Institute

(CFTRI) and the Regional Institute of Education (RIE). Towards the southern

outskirts are residential areas like Vidyaranyapurum, Chamundipurum,

Kuvempunagar and Gangotri Layouts. Mysore city was primarily the seat of the

titular rulers. In the central core, the palace, an imposing edifice communicating a

beautiful view in all directions, is situated. There are four gates for the palace giving

easy access to different sides of the town.The shopping core of the town, namely,

DevarajUrs Road, the SayyajiRao road, and the Dhanvantri Road are in the centre of

the depression on the western side of the palace. The shopping arcade has been

created by deliberate planning on the former site of a canal (nullah) called the

Purnaiah. New shopping areas have been formed as an extension to the older ones on

all sides of the core.

A major part of the city has a general tilt towards the south. There were a number of

tanks both on the northern and southern sides which having been built over do not

exist now. These tanks and channels had helped in keeping the other parts of the city

free from water logging. There were also a few small tanks within the city like the

Subbarayanakere which has since been reclaimed, filled up and converted into

playgrounds or other utility centers. The Doddakere tank on the southern side of the

Palace is mainly a swamp due to the inflow of water from the elevated surface on the

south. This has been converted into a playground as well as exhibition, circus ground

and a wrestling arena. The undulating surface of the town has helped in the laying of

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sewers and also aided by gravity, the flow of sewage to the outflow tanks located both

on the northern as well as the southern sides of the city. The Kukkarahallikere and the

Karanjikere has been renovated and converted as recreational and tourist spot.

2.4 TOPOGRAPHY

The district forms apart of Deccan Plateau and the general elevation is little more than

2000 feet above mean sea level. It has been described as an undulating table land with

granite rocks protruding at odd intervals. While the western taluks are bounded by

lofty mountain ranges of Western Ghats, the main forest areas are in southern and

south–western taluks have only small pockets of forest.

2.5 CLIMATE

Mysore city has a salubrious climate with its tropical location in the interior

peninsula. The equable climate of Mysore city is due to its elevation on the plateau

surface and its situation in the rain shadow region of the Western Ghats and it has

neither extremes of temperature nor rain fall. The city is comfortable for stay for

about 10 months in the year, higher humidity and temperature is experienced only for

two months that is April and May.

The climate of the Mysore city is divided into four seasons. They are,

Hot dry season (March-April)

Hot moist season (May-Sep)

Cool moist season (Oct-Nov)

Cool dry season (Dec-Feb)

2.5.a. Hot Dry Season (May-April)

This season spread over the month of March and ends in May. In this season the

city‘s weather is hot, dry and sultry. There is high temperature and low humidity.

The humidity about 50 percent is due to northward movement of the sun, from

February onwards temperature begins to increase. During this time, mean temperature

is about 25ºC-27 ºC while 37.8 ºC will be the maximum temperature. The rain fall is

meager with only 50 to 80 mm during this period. The later days are marked by

heavy rains, winds, thunder lightning and hailstone.

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2.5.b. Hot- Moist Season (May-Sep)

This season is spread over the month of May to September. Rainy days are

characteristic of this period. The winds laden with moisture begin to blow from the

south west towards the sub-continent of India; this is known as south west monsoon.

During this period the mean temperature is about 27.6º C and the city receive a rain

fall of about 480 mm. The wind‘s speed during this period is high with maximum

reaching up to 60kms per hour.

2.5.c. Cool Moist Season (Oct-Nov)

This season begins from October and ends in November. This is known as ―North east

monsoon‖. During these two months prevailing wind direction is from north east to

south west. This is a period of unsettled weather condition. A low pressure area is

developed in the Bay of Bengal and adjoining lands, so south west monsoon winds

change their direction and start blowing from north east during October to November,

during this period the rain fall is about 180 mm, most of it occurs in the month of

October.

2.5.d. Cool Dry Season (Dec-Feb)

This season covers the remaining month from December to February. During this

period there is low temperature and humidity. Fog and mist characterizes the early

part of this season. The sky is clear and cloudless during the rest of the season. The

monthly temperature varies from 21.7ºC to 24.7ºC.

2.5.1 Distribution of Temperature in the Mysore City

Mysore city has summer temperatures ranging from 22 ºC to 33 ºC,(Table-1 Graph-1)

while in the winter seasons, the temperatures drop down from 12 ºC to 30 ºC. The

city‘s monthly wise temperature is fluctuating from decade to decade. During 1961,

the highest temperature was 26.7 ºC however 32.6 ºC in 1971, 30.25 ºC in 1991, 33.25

ºC in 2001 and 32.10 ºCin 2011 respectively.

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Table:2.1: Distribution of Temperature in the City

Source: District Statistical Office, Mysore.

Graph:2.1

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Tem

pra

ture

Months

Temprature in Mysore city 1971-2011

1971

1981

1991

2001

2011

Monthly 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011

January 24.20 26.70 25.21 22.13 25.30

February 24.15 24.30 26.02 26.10 23.17

March 29.65 24.30 28.01 20.45 25.10

April 30.25 30.25 27.89 29.45 26.64

May 32.60 24.40 27.69 26.02 29.65

June 28.80 23.70 23.95 23.90 24.40

July 28.60 31.70 22.93 33.25 32.10

August 27.45 22.95 22.76 28.80 24.75

September 24.72 23.40 25.60 24.40 26.36

October 24.01 23.30 28.06 23.13 25.10

November 25.20 24.30 22.10 23.95 21.75

December 23.65 20.85 27.15 28.06 22.17

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2.5.2 Distribution of Rainfall in the Mysore City

The city and its surroundings lie in the rain shadow regions of the Western Ghats and

receive the major portion of rainfall from the south–west monsoon. The city‘s

monthly rain fall is fluctuating decade to decade (Table-2 Graph-2) i.e. in 1971 it was

837.9 mm and number of rainy days during this decade on an average was 121, in

1991 it was 884.8 mm and number of rainy days was 121.in in 1991 it was 767 mm

and number of rainy days was 76, in 2001 rainfall was 735 mm and number of rainy

days was 75, and in 2011 rainfall was 843.3mm and number of rainy days was 99.

Table: 2.2: Monthly wise rain fall from 1971-2011

Monthly 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011

January 2.1 5.4 2.5 0 0

February 0.3 0 0 0 17.0

March 0 51.3 0 2.8 21.1

April 110.0 53.6 31.0 124.4 172.4

May 115.0 163.5 131.4 154.5 93.7

June 45.7 32.0 175.2 22.8 34.4

July 21.3 78.3 32.2 35.6 98.6

August 231.9 102.2 40.8 84.5 99.2

September 190.3 256.0 137.6 97.9 51.1

October 76.5 112.5 185.0 93.3 138.9

November 37.6 18.2 31.4 119.4 116.9

December 7.2 11.8 0 0 0

Total 837.9 884.8 767.1 735.2 843.3

Source: District Statistical Office, Mysore.

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Graph: 2.2Monthly wise Rainfall in Mysore City

2.6 GEOLOGY

Mysore city is geologically occupied by quartz, with amphibolites. The general strike

is N 10º E-S 10 º W, with an easterly dip of 70-80‘. The rocks are traversed by a few

dolerite and felsite dykes. The felsite dykes are noticed in northern boundary of the

city. They are more massive, pale green to dark green in colour, fine grained texture.

The dolerite dykes are noticed in Siddharthanagar and Bannimantap extensions. They

are black in colour, medium to coarse grained in nature. An isolated pluton of gray to

pink colour granite occurs close to south-east boundary of the city. They are massive

and coarse grained.

2.7 DRAINAGE SYSTEM

Mysore city lies on the spur of an extension of the Coorg highlands, around which the

river Cauvery and one of its tributaries the Kabini skirt. The Cauvery River, which

has its source high up amid the Western Ghats, is the life line of the city. The well

known Krishnarajasagardam (KRS) is built across the river Cauvery with the

beautiful world famous Brindavan Garden immediately downstream after the dam.

The water from this dam is used for irrigation as well as for drinking water to Mysore

city.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300R

ain

fall

in m

m

Months

Rainfall in Mysore City 1971-2011

1971

1981

1991

2001

2011

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2.8 SOIL

The soil condition is predominantly red, sandy loamy derived from granite and

gneissic rocks and vary greatly from pure sandy soils to typical black cotton soil. The

soil around Mysore city is formed as a result of weathering of rocks and minerals.

The city‘s soil is predominantly red loamy and red sandy loamy. Here black soil

patches are also observed, on the bank of river Cauvery and wet land area. Red soil is

predominantly found in Krishnarajasagar and Mysore. The latter is heavy soil with lot

of moisture retaining capacity. It develops deep cracks during the dry season.

Although this soil is agriculturally very productive, it is found to be deficient in

Nitrogen and Phosphorus.

2.9 VEGETATION

The trees, plants, and grains that grow by themselves without any help of man are

known as natural vegetation. The natural vegetation of the surrounding area of the

city plays a major role in determining the economic activities of the people. There are

180 parks (Mysore City Corporation – 2001) covering 9 Sq. Km of the Mysore city.

Another 8 Sq. Km is covered by urban forestry, adequate area is covered by parks and

gardens. Trees have been planted on either side of all the important roads in the

wards. However, parks are in need of improved upkeep and maintenance, and only

about a half of the available ones are used by the citizens. With increasing

urbanization there is also a strong need to develop and maintain more green spaces,

parks, and water bodies on priority. A master plan to develop an area of about 500

acres around Chamundi hills to preserve the environment and heritage of the city on

the lines of Lalbagh and Cubbon Park in Bangalore is mooted.

2.10 WATER

The city is mainly dependent on both Cauvery and Kabini rivers with ground water

for domestic and industrial purposes. Many of the industries have bore wells for their

use. The principal rock types of Mysore are igneous and metamorphic granites,

gneisses and schist‘s of Precambrian age. The history of water supply to Mysore dates

back to the time of Dewan Poornaiah. He had planned for a contour canal from

Krishnarajasagara to Mysore to carry the Cauvery water through gravity to fulfill the

water requirement of Mysore. Nowadays Mysore city has adequate water supply due

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to the proximity of rivers Cauvery and Kabini. The city has two sources of water

located within a distance of 15 Kms. All of these sources draw from the rivers

Cauvery and Kabini. Vanivilas Water Works is able to supply millions of liters of

water to the city.

2.11 ECONOMIC ACTIVITY OF MYSORE

Tourism and Industries are the two major components that form the economic basis of

the city. The city being a place of historical importance attracts a large tourist

population. There are several types of industries in Mysore city ranging from flour

milling, repair workshops to manufactures of motor cycle and textiles which

contribute to the income of the city. There are also some traditional industries in the

city which are of great importance to the city‘s economy such as the silk industries,

sandalwood oil industries, and perfumery industries, incense sticks, wood carving and

beedi rolling industries along with Mysore Fertilizer and Chemical factory,

Information Technology industries and textile industries.

Growth of industries is the chief economic base of the population and the main

contribution for the development of the city. Mysore city was mainly an

administrative center up to 1947. Later it turned to be an industrial centre with

establishment of some industries like Krishnarajendra mills, Railway workshop and

Mysore Lac and paints. Later ‗Ideal Jawa,‘ an industrial unit to manufacture

motorcycle was started followed by the establishment of Vikranth Tyres, L and T,

BEML etc. The boom in the economic activity and the demand for the industrial and

residential land use were started with establishment of software companies like Wipro

and Infosys.

During 1976 surveys, it was found that the area under industrial use was 308.50

hectares. In approved Comprehensive Development Plan, it was raised to 1855.05

hectare in the year 2011 which constitute about 13.22 percent of the total land use.

This is because, the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board has developed a

huge industrial layout between Hunsur road and Krishnarajasagar road

accommodation major industries like Bharath Earth Movers Limited, Kirloskar,

Vikrant Radial plant, Automotive Axels, Software companies like Wipro and Infosys

etc, At present there are more than 3,500 registered units in the city.

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Small scale industries are spread out all over the city with a concentration of agro-

based and textile industries in Ediga Extension, Beedi manufacturing units are

concentrated in Mandi and Lashkar Mohalla, wood industries are concentrated in

Mysore south and Bamboo Bazaar. The city is essentially a service town although two

other major functions such as education and administration give great prominence to

the city.

2.12 TOURISM

Apart from the above economic basis, tourism is gaining importance. Mysore attracts

tourists with its historical, heritage and traditional importance. The significant places

of Mysore include Mysore Palace, Art Gallery, Zoo, Museum, Brindavan Garden,

Chamundi Hills, etc. Mysore is also famous for its lakes and bird watching. It is

estimated that the city is visited by large number of tourists every day and during peak

tourist seasons the floating population increases beyond 3.5 lakhs. As per the records

of MCC, around 2817343 tourists visit these famous locations of Mysore every year.

The number of floating population is increasing every year and the demand to cater to

such huge crowd is a big challenge in near future taking into consideration the basic

infrastructure facilities like water supply, sanitation arrangements, roads, solid waste

management, and waste water disposal. Hence, the growing floating population needs

to be considered during the planning of an effective CSP.

Mysore being a historical place is also surrounded by number of religious and

recreational tourists spots, which attracts the tourists from all over the world, Added

to it Mysore is also noted for world famous Dasara. A number of sightseeing places

of are within a radius of 25Kms. The Ranganatitu bird sanctuary, Nagarahole and

Bandipura game sanctuary, Water Park, and K.R.S. Brindavan garden, Mysore

Palace and Zoo attracts more than a million tourists every year.The

Panchalingadharshana at Talakadu and Nanjundeshwara temple at Nanjanagud are

some of the important religious places which attract religious tourists.The famous

Srirangapatna-both a religious and historical place is an added attraction to tourists

who visit Mysore.

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2.13 EDUCATION

The city has a number of Professional Courses like Engineering, Medical, Dental,

Pharmacy & Law Colleges, thus enhancing the academic reputation of Mysore.

Mysore centers mostly on Mysore University which was one of the earliest

institutions of its kind in India. The university campus which is now called

Manasagangotri occupies around 740 acres of land and conducts post graduate

courses in over 40 disciplines. The city is famous for research institutes such as

Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), All India Institute of Speech,

and Hearing ( AIISH), Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Defence Food

Research Laboratory (DFRL), Central Sericulture Research & Training Institute

(CSRTI), Central Institute of Plastics Engineering, and Technology (CIPET).

2.14 INFRASTRUCTURE

Infrastructure of Mysore comprises of a wide amount of civic amenities such as

sanitation, solid waste management, water supply, as well as transport network. The

governing authorities of Mysore are taking major initiatives to further develop the

state-of-art infrastructure facility in the city. In the recent past the local bodies of

Mysore have made an organized proposal which include the road infrastructure,

sanitation, water supply, and solid waste management issues. The infrastructure of

any place is a vital indicator of its development and growth. On realizing such an

importance of the infrastructure, the Government of Karnataka has chalked out a plan

for the up gradation and fully operational airport in Mysore.

2.14.1. Connectivity

Mysore is connected to Bangalore by SH-17 which has been recently upgraded to 4-

lane divided carriageway from the earlier 2-lane road. This up gradation has

tremendously reduced the commuting time between the 2 cities. National Highway

212 and State Highways 17,33,88 pass through Mysore connecting it to nearby cities.

The expressway which is being developed under BMIC, would not only reduce the

travel time but would also create new townships, which would be self-contained.

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2.14.2. Road and Transport Projects

Mysore is examining the feasibility of providing mass transport systems such as Bus

rapid Transit, Electric Trolley Buses, or Light Rail System. This is one of the

priorities for improving the transport facilities in the city. MCC/MUDA have

identified corridors for road improvement along with related infrastructure: providing

for comfortable pedestrian movement is one of the considerations. Development of

pedestrian/cycling zones is one of the projects proposed for funding (for Rs. 2 cr.).

Planning of roads should consider safety concerns of cyclists and pedestrians, and

projects for this should be developed through wide ranging consultations with

concerned stakeholders. This has to be ensured and evidence provided of such

consultations in the CDP. Mysore has a small airport, called Mandkhalli Airport,

approximately, 4 miles from the city. The airport is currently inoperative. There is a

plan to redesign and extend the airport for making it operational for small and big

aircraft. Therefore, an airport up gradation project for Rs.90 cr. Has been proposed in

the CDP. However, this is an ineligible component and hence cannot be considered

for funding under JNNURM.

2.14.3. Rail Network

Mysore city is the divisional headquarters of Southern Railways and has railway lines

passing through the city with Mysore-Arasikere line connecting Bangalore-Pune main

line at Arasikere. Bangalore- Chamarajanagar line ends at Chamarajanagar. Mysore

city also has train facility directly or through links to Bombay, Delhi, Kolkata, Jaipur

and to Ahmadabad.

2.14.4. Road Network of Mysore City

Mysore city has radial and gridiron pattern road network with arterial roads

originating from the city centre. Palace is the focal point of origin of all arterial roads

running radically to outer areas of the city. The city has 5 main arterial roads, which

are also the State Highways connecting Bangalore and Ooty (Tamilnadu), Bannur and

Kanakapura, Hunsur and Mangalore and H.D. Kote and Manantvady(Kerala). The

total road network in the city was 335 kilometers in 1971. It increased to 432

kilometers in 1981, which accounts for 29% of increase over a decade. There are 48

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main roads in the city covering a total length of around 58 kms. As on 2001, the total

length of all types of roads was about 1773 km.

2.14.5. Ring Roads

The road network of the city include three ring roads viz. outer ring road, intermediate

ring road and inner ring road and also arterials roads, sub arterial roads, collector

roads and other. The three ring roads not only take traffic from other roads but also

act as by-pass roads at their respective locations in order to avoid congestion

especially at the city. The details are as follows:

2.14.6. Outer Ring Road (ORR)

Outer Ring Road (ORR) around Mysore city was conceived to divert the traffic from

the city area, crossing through the city and minimize the congestion within the city.

The entire length of ORR takes off from Bangalore-Mysore road(SH-17) and

circumferences Mysore City on the western side crossing KRS Road, Hunsur road,

Bogadi road, HD Kote road and joins the Ooty road near the Regulated Market; and in

the eastern side crossing Bannur road and joins Mahadevpura road near Star Poultry

Farm. Along the western side of the city, the ORR of 25 kms stretch is mainly a lane

road and it is proposed to be widened to 4 lane divided carriageway. Towards the

eastern side, 7.2 km stretch ORR is 4 lane divided carriageway of 20mts wide and 9.5

Km stretch between Bannur and Nanjangud is yet to be tackled. However, MUDA has

proposal to construct/widen ORR so that the total width would be 45m. ORR has been

constructed with total crust thickness of 515 mm with the top portion comprising

40mm Bituminous concrete. There are 40 curves with design speed of 80 km/h;

however in certain stretches design speed has been restricted to 65 km/h due to sharp

curves and steep gradient.

2.14.7. Intermediate Ring Road

The Intermediate ring road is not a new alignment. It is proposed along the existing

roads only. It is proposed to increase the width along the entire stretch to 30 mts. The

Intermediate Ring road starts from new Kantharajaurs road, passes through

Vishwamanava Double road, Bogadi road, Open Air theatre road, Husur road, and

Gokulam road. The existing road passes through Manjunathapura, in front of Ideal

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Jawa up to Highway Circle and then passes through Bannimanatapa, old Bangalore-

Mysore Road, Hyderalij road, Karanji Tank Bund road, Race Course road, Bangalore-

Niligiri Road, J.L.B road to join Kantharajaurs road. The width of this intermediate

ring road along Kantharajaurs road has been retained at 24 m, as many structures have

come up on either sides of this road.

2.14.8. Inner Ring Road

The inner ring road is also not a new road but its alignment is proposed along the

existing roads and the width is proposed to be widened to 30 mts. The width along

Shesadri Iyer road and Sawday road are kept as 24 m whereas in other reaches it has

been proposed as 30m. The inner ring road starts from Sawday road and passes

through Bangalore-Nilgiri road, Chamaraja Double road, J.L.B road, Shesadri Iyer

road and then joins Sawday Road.

2.15 PHASES OF GROWTH

Growth of the Mysore city can be identified in four phases (Map-2)

Map:2.2: Spatial Expansion of Mysore city 1971-2012

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2.15.1. Phase I (1862-1903)

The total extent of the city during this period was about 8.5sq.km. The city limit was

confined to the existing core and its vicinity with a population of 60,312 in the year

1861 to 68.111 in the year 1901, with a negative growth rate of -8.00 due epidemic

diseases. The population distribution was based on social status. The officials of high

economic status occupied the outer circle of the city. The merchants and their

business were confined to the heart of the city.

The immediate task taken during the first stage by the rulers was to solve the problem

of water supply. Hence a canal by name Purnaiah was built from the river Cauvery to

the city. Housing was provided to the official and other workmen employed in the

nearby areas. In the beginning, the palace was the only economic base. A large

number of people were employed in the place. Owing an increase in importance of

Mysore city, it has attracted more people from the nearby area. It has resulted in the

congestion misuse and over use of the existing infrastructure facilities. The Purnaiah‘s

canal which wasonce the source of water became acess pool and source of disease.

Mysore became an unclean city and in the first phase of development providing

amenities such as underground drainage protected water supply and laying new

extension for decongesting the city began. The city municipal committee was formed

in the year 1862 for the improvements and maintenance of the city. It has focused on

cleansing of Mysore city and provide of modern amenities. A complete system of

underground drainage was provided for Mysore city in 1886. In 1896, the most

beneficial scheme of supply of potable water from Cauvery River was commissioned.

In order to decongest the population in old town and to remove unsanitary conditions,

street widening and improvement schemes were taken up and displaced persons were

accommodated in extensions. The three new extension such as Chamarja extension in

the west, Ediga in the north and Jalapuri extension in the east were formed around

1900 A.D. covering an area 100 ha. Efforts were made to keep the city clean and

facilitate the citizens with comfortable infrastructures. The purnaiah canal which was

the source of much disease was filled up and Sayyajirao road was built with its two

flanks lined with shopping complex centers. City beautification with parks and

gardens began to take shape. In 1903, the City Improvement Trust Board was

constituted.

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2.15.2. Phase II (1903-1961)

There was considerable physical expansion as a result of rise in its population. The

population which was about 60,111 in the year 1901 has gone to 253,865 in the year

1961. The economic base of the city was diversified to generate more employment.

The supply of power from Shivanasamudram helped the establishment of sandal oil

factory, silk factory, coffee curing works, and paper mills. The establishment of these

industries led to further expansion of the city.

The city improvement Trust Board was constituted in 1903 with the objective of

planned development of city and to control health hazards, restoring sanitation and

health services. Within a span of 30 years Mysore earned a reputation as planned

city. In order to improve the city, conservation, rehabilitation, and redevelopment of

new extensions took place between 1910 and 1920 Chamundipuram, Ashokapuram,

Krishnamurthypuram, V.V.Puram and Jayanagar were formed. About 400 hectares

were developed in these extensions. The city trust board continued the redevelopment

programme in addition to the formation of new extensions during 1920 to 1930 and

acquired 500 hectares of land to develop new extensions such as Lakshmipuram,

Yadavagiri, V.V.Mohalla, Jayalajkshmipuram, Naarasimharaja Mohalla,

Bannimantap, Chamundipuram and Saraswathipuram and Alanahalli. The industrial

activities were encouraged and establishment of commercial and recreational

activities also took place during this phase.

2.15.3. Phase III (1961-1991)

Mysore city shows sporadic growth in this period. This is mainly due to growth of

population and industrial development, the population which was about253,865 in the

year 1961 has risen to 653,345 in the year 1991 with the growth rate of 40% and 34%.

A number of educational institutions, research institutions training centers of both

states and central government were started. During 1960 to 1970 trust board had

formed 9 extensions and about 300 hectares of land was developed for the formation

of sites. The new extensions formed during this period were Gokulam, Brindavan

Extension, Mahadevapura, Kesare, Saraswathipuram 2nd stage, Kurabarahalli,

Gayatripuram and Bannimantap layouts.

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Between 1970 and 80 due to increase demand for housing the rust board further

intensified the forming of new extensions. During this period about 450 hectares of

land were developed on the periphery increasing the city by 7%. The nine new

extensions which were under different stages of completion in the previous decade

were farther extended and the new three extensions such as Gangotri, Kumbarakoppal

and Kuvempunagar were formed. The city expansion during this period took place

mainly towards the northeast and southeast.

During 1980-85 the trust board got approval of the government to form new layouts in

the eastern and northwestern periphery comprising 374 hectares of land. The layouts

are Yeraganahalli, Jyothinagara III stage and Vijayanagara.

2.15.4. Phase IV (1991-2011)

Mysore is home to several education and research institutes of national importance.

The tourism sector alone attracts more than 25 lakh visitors per annum to Mysore.

The alarming rate at which the city of Mysore is growing can be attributed to the

increasing presence/establishment of IT and IT industries, migration and rapid growth

of population and urbanization. The city population which was 653,345 in 1991 has

gone up to 914,919 in the year 2011 with a growth rate of 20.27% during 1991 to

2001 and 14.11 during 2001 to 2011. This has created immense pressure on the city

for residential areas which has led to the huge demand for the fringe land and outskirt

of the city.

The city is growing in the peripheral areas and it can be seen in large scale

residential/housing layout developments in areas such as Vijayanagar,

Belawadi,(along Mysore-Hunsur road) Siddalingapura ( along Bangaloe-Mysore

road), JP Nagar (along Mysore-Nanjangud road), Sathgalli (along Mysore-

Mahadevapura road), Kurubarahalli (along Mysore-Bannur road) and srirampura

(along Mysore-H.D. Kote Road), Vijayanagar and Belawadi village localities along

Hunsur-Mysore road. The North-western Part of the Mysore is experiencing rapid

growth and this trend is likely to intensify further in the coming years. The spatial

expansion of Mysore is largely continuous and relatively compact.

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2.16.LAND USE ZONINGS

In order to promote public health, safety and the general social welfare of the

community, it is necessary to apply reasonable limitations on the use of land and

buildings. This is to ensure that the most appropriate economical and healthy

development of the city place in accordance with the land use plan. For this purpose

the city is divided into number of zones, such as residential, commercial, industrial,

public and semi-public, etc, Each zone has its own regulations, as the same set of

regulations cannot be applied to the entire town or city.

Zoning protects residential areas from the harmful invasions of commercial and

industrial uses and at the same time promotes the orderly development of industrial

and commercial area. By regulating the spacing of buildings, adequate light, air,

protection form fire, etc, can be provided. It prevents overcrowding in building and

land and thus ensures adequate facilities and services. It does not prohibit the use of

land and buildings that are lawfully established prior to the coming into effect of

zoning regulations. If these uses are contrary to the newly proposed uses, they are

termed as non-conforming uses and are gradually eliminated over years without

inflicting unreasonable hardship upon the property owner. The zoning regulations and

their enforcement are major tool in keeping the land use pattern of the master plan.

The zoning regulations for Mysore-Nanjangud local planning area are prepared under

clause (iii) sub-section (2) of section 12 and 21 of Karnataka town and country

planning act (LPA 2013).

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Table-2.3. Different zones of Mysore city

Source: CDP, MUDA, for planning area of Mysore city.

From the above study it is clear that the brief history of the area, location, climate,

geology, soil, drainage and infrastructural facility like road net work, and other

economic and educational facilities are favorable for comfortable dwelling of the

citizens and thus creates a huge demand for the housing or for the site to construct

houses, which in turn encourages the private housing cooperatives societies or for the

land developers to invest huge amount on the housing.

Residential R

Commercial Retail

Wholesale

C1

C2

Industrial Light

Medium

Heavy

Service

IL

IM

IH

IS

Public and semi public G

Utilities and service PU

a. Opean spaces,

parks and

playgrounds and

buffer along the

river

b. Burial grounds

BG

Traffic and transport TT

Agriculture use AG