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INTRODUCTION
The world population has grown tremendously in the past few decades, and with an increase In population comes industrialization to provide more job opportunities as well as to grow the country's economy. The setting up of industries and increase in the facilities in some areas paved the way for the emergence of cities with a more luxurious lifestyle. As a result, more and more populations migrated towards cities leaving the rural areas, this process is come to be known as urbanization.
Urbanization is closely linked to modernization, industrialization, and the sociological process of rationalization. Urbanization is not merely a modern phenomenon, but a rapid and historic transformation of human social roots on a global scale. Urbanisation in India is taking place at a faster rate with over 34% of India's current population living in urban areas (UN World Urbanisation Prospects Report 2018). Does that show we should replace the rural with the urban culture? Many rural inhabitants come to the city for reasons of seeking fortunes and social mobility. But the picture of urbanization is not so much glorious as it seems. Modern cities have grown in a haphazard and unplanned manner due to fast industrialization. Cities in developing countries become over-populated and over-crowded partly as a result of the increase in population over the decades and partly as a result of migration.
Defining Urban Areas
In Census of India, 2001 towns were classified into two parts:
a) Statutory towns: All places with a municipality, corporation, Cantonment board or notified town area committee, etc. so declared by state law.
b) Census towns: Places that have a minimum population of 5000 with at least 75% of the male working population engaged in non-agricultural pursuits and a density of population for at least 400 persons per sq. km.
Urban Agglomeration: An urban agglomeration is a continuous urban spread that includes a town and its adjacent Urban Outgrowths (OGs), or two or more physically contiguous towns, as well as any adjacent urban outgrowths of such towns. Railway colonies, university campuses, port areas, and military campuses are examples of outgrowths that may appear near a statutory town or city.
ISSUES ASSOCIATED WITH URBANISATION IN INDIA
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS
1. Migration: the enormous migrant population generates a pool of unskilled and semi-skilled labour force, which is already saturated in urban areas.
2. Urban poverty: lack of employment and rising inequality
SOCIO-CULTURAL PROBLEMS
1. The emergence of slums: Due to the unplanned, unregulated nature of the policies for the cities leads to the emergence of slums for the urban poor.
2. Urban sprawl and expansion of the cities: Large population and expansion of land lead to encroachment of agricultural and forest land.
3. Rising demands: With the increase in population it leads to an increase in the demand for basic amenities such as clean water, public transportation, sewage treatment and housing.
4. Unplanned cities: overcrowding and haphazard expansion of cities leads to severe congestion.
5. Increase in crime rates: lack of employment and education tends to aggravate the crime rates.
6. Distort sex ratio: male selective migration to the urban areas distorts the sex ratio in these cities.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
1. Pollution: The large urban population not only uses but disposes off a huge quantity of all types of waste, the domestic as well as industrial wastes are either let into general sewerages or dumped without treatment at unspecified locations. The massive use of traditional fuel severely pollutes the air
2. Scarcity of water: Many cities find it extremely difficult to provide the minimum required quantity of potable water and water for domestic and industrial use.
3. Sewerage system: An improper sewerage system creates unhealthy conditions.
4. Heat islands: Huge concrete structures erected to accommodate the population and economy play a very conducive role to create heat islands.
CONCLUSION
The state of our cities has been a matter of concern for decades. Be it air quality and unsafe drinking water, or now, the virus, the precarious nature of urban living has never been more pronounced. Covid pandemic has compelled us to think of new policy formulations for our urban spaces.
The growth of large cities can be attributed to their role as economic engines in a rapidly globalizing world. Small towns that are urban in nature but rural in character are the most neglected in the current policy environment. They are forced to exist with poorer services and policy neglect while having to meet the demands of a large population.
