Facts
- Indian urban population expected to reach 600 million by 2031.
- Recent water-logging crises in Gurgaon and Bangalore.
What is the new trend in this Urbanisation?
Population growth will not be in the core city. It will mainly be concentrated in semi urban or rural areas surrounding or adjacent to the core city.
What are the Challenges posed by this kind of development?
This kind of urban sprawl poses many economic, ecological and institutional challenges.
- Many places lack essential facilities such as water, sanitation, electricity, roads, and transportation.
- When agricultural land is turned into commercial areas, it puts the local ecosystem at risk.
- This transformation not only affects the environment but also endangers the livelihoods of people living in peri-urban areas.
Why State’s Intervention is Necessary?
When new areas grow, it’s usually driven by private developers. It’s important for the government to pay attention to this growth because if left unchecked, it tends to create exclusive spaces like gated communities, without considering public infrastructure. The recent issues with water-logging in Gurgaon and Bangalore show how rapid development without proper urban amenities, like a good drainage system, can turn a city into a bit of a nightmare.
Also, sometimes, when big projects take over agricultural land on the outskirts of cities, they buy it from farmers at really low prices. Later, the land is often used for business and commercial purposes, leaving the original landowners and farmers feeling left out and compelled to move elsewhere.
How should the state respond to this change?
- To plan for the future, the government should identify areas with potential for growth and make sure they have the basic infrastructure and services they need.
- The National Rurban Mission aims to create 300 “rurban” growth clusters, but it’s also crucial to focus on peri-urban areas near big cities that may not fall under urban local bodies.
- Dealing with the expansion of cities requires a solid institutional framework for planning and governance at the metropolitan level. However, to avoid too much centralization, there should be additional mechanisms at the city and neighborhood levels.
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