Spaces & Flows: Ninth International Conference on Urban and ExtraUrban Studies

Abstract

Speaking universally, human settlements have binary but interactive components, viz., rural and urban. Between this dichotomy, a zone of transition, termed as “Rurban” combine the characteristics of rural agricultural activities with suburban living areas and industrialised zones. Such hybrid settlements have become imperative especially in the settlement landscape of rapidly urbanising Indian spatial geometry. Indian urban settlements are principally of two types: Statutory Towns (ST) and non-statutory towns or Census Towns (CT). The census towns and big villages basically represent “Rurban” settlements. The census of 2011 has witnessed a marked increase in urban population in India as a corollary to increase in census towns. Haora, in West Bengal depicts is the smallest and the most urbanised district (excluding Kolkata), the urban landscape being composed of only three statutory towns and one hundred thirty five census towns. The present study seeks to understand the process of rurbanisation in parts of Haora district, with three-fold aims: to identify the rurban centres, to analyse the viability of those identified settlements and, to suggest the necessities to be introduced in these settlements. The methodology applied here incorporates various statistical techniques, viz., regression analysis, rurban index, sopher’s index etc. and suitable cartographic techniques. These quasi-urban settlements have been facing the problems of governance leading to imbalance in population-infrastructure ratio and consequent unplanned development. Accordance of statutory status to these quasi-urban settlements or constituting separate governance for these transitional rurban settlements may enhance the quality of urbanisation in Haora District.