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Economic
Development Policy |
| URBAN
DEVELOPMENT |
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BACKGROUND
Urban
development is one of the key contributors of economic prosperity of a
nation or state. The contribution of urban areas to India’s GDP was
estimated to be around 47% in 1991(Dr.
D. Mehta & Dr. P. Pathak in Economic Development,
Globalisation & Urban Governance in India, India: The
Challenge of Urban Governance, ed. OP Mathur, 1999)
and is believed to have risen to nearly 60% by 2000
(MP
Mathur in The Spatial Context, India Infrastructure Report 2001).
However, our cities and towns, by and large, have not received their due
share of attention and public investment.
The
National Commission on Urbanisation in its report in 1988 had advocated
that ‘…Urbanisation strategy should be a part of an overall strategy
of generating economic growth, not one of merely doling out some
residual funds for urban housing, slum clearance, water supply &
sewerage schemes and occasional induction of foreign funds for
augmentation of resources for such development. …’.
URBAN
DEVELOPMENT IN MADHYA PRADESH
As
per the 1991 census, the level of urbanisation in Madhya Pradesh (23.2%)
was below the National average (25.7%).
The urban population of the state had grown at the rate of 44.9%
between 1981 and 1991. This growth was one of the highest in the country
(average 36.5%), excluding the north-eastern states. The growth rate of
urban population has been more than double that of the rural population
(22.2%). A major part of this can be safely attributed to migration from
the rural to urban areas.
As
regards, the growth of various classes of towns in Madhya Pradesh, Class
I, III, IV and VI have registered phenomenally high growth rates of more
than 50%. Intense demographic pressure on these towns is causing rapid,
unplanned urbanisation which is clearly reflected by the strain on
existing services, low levels of investment even for maintenance of
infrastructure, shortages of housing and basic shelter, etc.
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Growth of
urban areas by Class of Towns in Madhya Pradesh
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Size
Class
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Population
Group
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No.
of Towns
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Population
growth rate
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1981
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1991
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1981-91
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Class
– I
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100000
& above
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14
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23
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56.11
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Class
– II
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50000
to 99999
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28
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29
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12.11
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Class
– III
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20000
to 49999
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41
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69
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51.73
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Class
– VI
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10000
to 19999
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113
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177
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54.60
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Class
– V
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5000
to 9999
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104
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130
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24.33
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Class
– VI
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Less
than 5000
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3
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5
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58.40
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All
Classes
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Total
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303
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433
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44.98
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(Source:
Census of India, NIC)
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THE STATE OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT
IN MADHYA PRADESH
Across
Madhya Pradesh, in 1999 only 44.72% of the urban population had
access to the three facilities of electricity, portable water
supply and sanitation while 8.07% had none of the three facilities
(Census
of India, quoted in the MP Human Development Report 1998).
Chattarpur, Panna, Rewa and Satna were the most
backward districts with less than 30 % of the urban population
having access to any of these facilities (EPCO,
Madhya Pradesh, as quoted in the Madhya Pradesh Human Development
Report , 1998).
The
availability of electricity, potable water supply and sanitation
facilities in selected districts of undivided state of MP are
shown in Table.
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Households
with Access
to Basic Utilities in urban areas
(%) |
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District
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Electricity
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Safe
Drinking Water
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Toilets
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Indore
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82.04
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88.49
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65.25
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Bhopal
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85.66
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92.98
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71.20
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Ujjain
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84.52
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91.84
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72.61
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Ratlam
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82.23
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95.49
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71.44
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Gwalior
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81.67
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85.68
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64.92
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Jabalpur
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78.05
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79.92
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57.19
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MP
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72.52
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79.45
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53.00
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Source
: Census of India 1991, quoted in the MP Human Development
Report 1998
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The
State Government had initiated several schemes for supply of water
and sanitation in 100 towns of MP during the Eighth Plan, many of
which are continuing into the Ninth Plan period as well. Drinking
water, however, continues to be a critical area for the state as
demonstrated in the drought last year.
In addition to water,
sewerage, drainage and solid waste disposal facilities are the
most critical problems in urban settlements of Madhya Pradesh as
they are grievously affecting the environment, apart from emerging
as urban eyesores.
In the undivided state of Madhya Pradesh, the total area
under slums was 155.26 sq.km (EPCO, Madhya Pradesh, as quoted in the Madhya
Pradesh Human Development Report , 1998).The percentage of urban
population residing in slums ranged from a minor 1.34% in Sehore
district to 43.15% in Guna. Bhopal, Gwalior and Mandsaur had high percentages of slum population
concentrated within small areas. On the other hand, slums in the
cities of Indore, Rewa, Guna and Jabalpur were spread over large areas between
10-20 sq.km. with low densities.
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