Past Experiences, Present Challenges and Future Prospects of Urbanization in India
Vishwa SHARMA, Shaheed Bhagat Singh college, University of Delhi, India
The history of Urbanization is very ancient in India which encompasses historical, geographical and socio-economic dimensions. The first urban settlements developed in the country were Harappan culture during the Indus valley civilization. Urbanization is taking place in third world countries at a revolutionary pace including India. It is intricately linked with the process of economic development and considered as inevitable. In India, the process of urbanization took a new shape immediately after independence. The process further accelerated during the early eighties when rapid industrialization took place. The post-liberalization period has further increased the pace of urbanization process. India is the fourth largest country in terms of absolute urban population after USA, Russia and China. According to Census 2011, India’s urban population was 37.7 crores, which is projected to grow to about 60 crores by 2030. Urban centres are the major engines of economic growth in the country contributing to two-thirds of the country’s economic output. The main characteristics of urbanization in India are unplanned, lopsided nature of urbanisation, absence of equity led development and severe environmental issues. The rapid pace of urbanization poses significant challenges to basic infrastructure services such as water supply, housing, sanitation, transportation, solid waste and wastewater management etc. Government of India has taken extensive initiatives to address the problems and issues of urbanisation in India and devised a multi-level strategy for urban transformation like Smart City Mission, Pradhanmantri Awas Yojana, National Urban Livelihoods Mission, Affordable Rental Housing Complexes, etc. These multi-dimensional steps are undertaken in the accurate direction to alleviate problems related to urbanization in India. The present research work critically analyses the past experiences, present status, challenges and future prospects of urbanization in India.
Mots clés : Urbanization|Challenges|Prospects|Development|Transformation
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