IMPACT OF MIGRATION ON MAJOR CITIES

IMPACT OF MIGRATION ON MAJOR CITIES In India problems related to massive poverty-induced migration from rural to the major metros are due to 'lopsided, unplanned and over-congested urbanisation' which has caused overall deterioration of urban environment in India.

Most of the metropolitan cities are growing at an alarmingly fast rate and, according to UN estimates, most of them will double their population in the next 12 to 15 years. Increasing migration of the poor to urban areas has already led to urban involution, decay, poverty, exploita­tion, insecurity and inequality among the migrant popu­lation. As most of the migrants are poor, landless, illiterate and lack basic skills, they fail to get jobs in the capital­intensive production system of urban India. These un­skilled migrants are absorbed by the unorganised sectors characterised by low productivity, tremendous competition, poor pay and insecurity. Even if such migrations help the rur'i11 poor to avoid starvation death, it causes a huge loss in terms of human resources and national potential. As a consequence, major urban centres of India have become much involutJd, not evoluted, Le" they have grown merely in population, not in prosperity. Mega-cities look like "over-blown villages without urban culture and urban functional characteristics".

During the last few decades, acute problems have arisen--extreme housing scarcities, and frequent break­down of essential municipal services such as water supply, elecmtity, sewerage, transport-d.ue to the massive pres­sure of population on the basic urban facilities.

Tht$ problemp caused by migration can be checked by curbin~ population growth and promoting a balanced economic development in the country. It is imperative that the government, NGOs, scholars, planners, policy-makers and administrators cooperate and formulate well-thought out action plans for remedying the situation.