PROBLEMS OF URBANISATION — INDIA IN PARTICULAR AND ALSO OTHER COUNTRIES

Problems of Urbanisation

Urbanisation means the concentration of population in the big cities of a country.  These big cities are causing serious problems even in the very advanced countries of the world.  The big cities are growing in a very unsystematic manner due to fast industrialization.   In reality, the concentration of industries also causes the problems of urbanisation.

The population of big cities is always on the increase, because the villagers migrate in large numbers to the cities in search of employment.  In the villages, there are not many opportunities to get work due to the lack of agro industries and more so due to seasonal nature of employment in agriculture.  The people of villages also come to the cities in search of higher standard of living and better living conditions.  The cities are more glamorous.  They provide many sided entertainments through the clubs, cinema houses, hotels, etc., whereas villages lack all such facilities.

But on the other hand, due to over population the cities become the centres of all the cities.  In the big cities of U.S.A many organized criminal gangs have come into existence criminal gangs have come into existence.  In certain big cities of Europe and U.S.A people do not come out in the night due to the fear of these criminals.  Thus, big cities create many social and criminal problems. The same is true of Mumbai, India’s commercial capital and New Delhi, the capital of India where underworld mafia rules the roost.

In the big cities, there is also the serious problem of housing.  The authorities are always failing in their efforts to meet the housing demands of the people.  The shortage of houses leads to overcrowding, and insanitary conditions, which result in slums.  Jhuggi Jhompri (JJ) colonies spring up.  These people not only steal water and electricity but also spread insanitation.  They have little toilet – facilities.  They ease on roads, on rail tracks and even in streets.  These unemployed youth join the criminal world posing law and order problems.  The huge population of the cities also leads to many transport problems like traffic jams, accidents, etc., The inhabitants of the cities also become very self-seeking and self-centred.  They lack social feeling and sympathy for others.

Over-population and overcrowding in the cities create several problems for the Municipal authorities such as water shortage, electricity breakdown, etc., In certain big cities, water is not available all the twenty-four hours.  Sometimes, the water gets contaminated.  It is also a problem to keep the streets, roads, etc., properly cleaned.  The high sky scrapers which are constructed in the big cities cause many problems.  If by chance a fire breaks out in these multi-storeyed buildings, it is not easy to be extinguished.

It is also not easy to get anything pure in the big cities.  Everything is either impure or adulterated because of larger demands and lesser supplies.  One cannot get pure food, milk and even drinking water in the big cities.  Everything available here is adulterated, which leads to many diseases among the urban people.  Thus, we see that the city people do not possess good health.  Again the big cities are also very costly and the standard of living is very high there.

Instead of following the ideals of simple living and high thinking, the people in big cities follow the ideal of high living and simple thinking.  The urban people lead a very fast and busy life so as to maintain their high standard of living.  They lead a very expensive and artificial life.  On the other hand, the people of the villages lead a natural life.

Of course, there are certain merits of the city life also.  The urban people do not believe in superstitions.  They work hard to lead a higher standard of living.  There is no doubt, that most of the achievements of the modern world like scientific and technological inventions and discoveries, have inventions and discoveries, have been made in the cities.  There are also many means of the entertainment in the cities as also wider employment opportunities