In India as in other developing countries intensiveindustrialization followed by
urbanization has now attracted theattention of urban ecologists to the issues of
ecologicaldegradation. An attempt has been made in this study to examine notonly
the issue of industrial pollution, patterns of humansettlement and land use in
the city, but also to investigate theprocesses that have contributed to the
deteriorating quality oflife in Indian cities. Apart from the problem of
industrialpollution, this study demonstrates how the social structure of acity
also contributes to its environmental decay. The focus of thisresearch has been
on Rourkela which as a city planned to supportthe Rourkela Steel Plant and its
ancillary industrial units,provides