Abstract: Urban growth is a major concern in rapidly developing cities like Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. This study focuses on land use and land cover (LULC) changes using satellite imagery and GIS tools on the Budameru Rivulet. The increasing of urban growth around the rivulet has resulted on the loss of natural flood buffers and an increase in impervious surfaces, thereby exacerbating flood risks. Satellite data from 2016 & 2025 were utilized to assess the spatial and temporal evolution of land cover in the region, revealing an enormous change of 3.5% variation of agricultural area, water bodies like mainly flood plain areas being encroached by 0.5%, vegetation has reduced by 0.09%, the total catchment area of the region is 1400 sq km and in that catchment area nearly 32 sq. km area occupied by urban activities in the period of 2016 to 2025. These LULC changes were mapped using visual interpretation revealing a significant rise in the built-up areas and a decline in agriculture land over past one decade. This study underscores the importance of LULC mapping providing critical insights for urban planning.

Keywords: Land Use and Land Cover (LULC), urban growth, GIS, visual interpretation.

| DOI: 10.17148/IARJSET.2025.12476