The Problems and issues in urbanization in India

INTRODUCTION:-

In our country, urbanization is unplanned due to uncontrolled migration. Due to unplanned urbanization, India is facing too many problems such as unemployment, electricity problem, pollution, social problems, improper sanitation facilities, etc. The rapid rise in an urban population in India is leading to many problems like increasing slums, decrease in standard of living in urban areas, also causing environmental damage. Following problems need to be highlighted.

1. Urban lounge: Urban sprawl or real expansion of the cities, both in population and geographical area, of rapidly growing cities is the root cause of urban problems. In most cities, the economic base is incapable of dealing with the problems created by their excessive size. Massive immigration from rural areas as well as from small towns into big cities has taken place almost consistently; thereby adding to the size of cities.

2. Overcrowding: Overcrowding is a situation in which too many people live in too little space. Overcrowding is a logical consequence of over-population in urban areas. It is naturally expected that cities having a large size of population squeezed in a small space must suffer from overcrowding. This is well exhibited by almost all the big cities of India.

3. Sanitation: The poor sanitation condition is another gloomy feature in urban areas and particularly in slums. The drainage system in many unorganized colonies and slums existing are in a bad shape and blockage of wastewater. These unsanitary conditions lead to many sanitation-related diseases such as diarrhea and malaria. Unsafe garbage disposal is one of the critical problems in urban areas.

4. Squatter Settlements: No clear-cut distinction can be drawn between slums and squatter settlements in practice except that slums are relatively more stable and are located in older, inner parts of cities compared to squatter settlements which are relatively temporary and are often scattered in all parts of the city, especially outer zones where urban areas merge with their rural hinterland. Normally, squatter settlements contain makeshift dwellings constructed without official permission (i.e., on unauthorized land).

5. Environmental concern: Vulnerability to the risk posed by the increasing man-made and natural disasters. According to UNDP 70 % of the Indian population is at risk of floods and 60% susceptible to earthquakes. The risk is higher in urban areas owing to density and overcrowding. Urban areas are becoming heat islands, groundwater is not being recharged and the water crisis is persistent. Here making, water harvesting compulsory will be beneficial.

6. Poverty: Today roughly one-third of the urban population lives below the poverty line. There are disparities between haves and have-nots in urban areas. The most demanding of the urban challenges is poverty. There is a rise in urban inequality, as per the UN habitat report, in 2010, urban inequality in India rose from 34 to 38 % based on consumption in the period of 1995 to 2005.

7. Transport: As high-income individuals are buying more private vehicles and using less public transport. Such a huge number of vehicles in cities is causing more traffic jams, which in turn decreases the efficiency of public transport. There is also a lack of infrastructure and poor maintenance causes huge pollution.

8. Unemployment: The problem of unemployment is no less serious than the problem of housing mentioned above. Urban unemployment in India is estimated at 15 to 25 percent of the labor force. This percentage is even higher among educated people.

9. Water: it is one of the most essential elements of nature to sustain life and right from the beginning of urban civilization. However, the supply of water started falling short of demand as the cities grew in size and number.

10. Urban Crimes: Modem cities present a meeting point of people from different walks of life having no affinity with one another. Like other problems, the problem of crimes increases with the increase in urbanization. In fact, the increasing trend in urban crimes tends to disturb the peace and tranquility of the cities and make them unsafe to live in particularly for women.

Conclusion:- 

Urbanization is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of rural migration & it is closely linked to modernization, industrialization. Poverty, unemployment, and under-employment among the rural immigrants, beggars, thefts, and other social evils are on a rampage. Urban sprawl is rapidly encroaching the precious agricultural land. The urban population of India had already crossed the 285 million mark by 2001. By 2030, more than 50 percent of India’s population is expected to live in urban areas.

So, Improvements in quality of urban life, improved sanitation, and hygiene interventions, hygiene education, wastewater management, urban waste management has to be scientifically applied in the interest of the growing urban population.