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CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

1. CONCEPT OF THE STUDY : SETTLEMENTS AS A SYSTEM

A. Concept of Megalopolis

B. Trend of Urbanization

a. National Level

b. Sub National Level

2. OBJECTIVES AND HYPOTHESIS

A. Objectives of the Study

B. Hypothesis

3. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

4. REVIEW OF STUDIES

A. Urbanization and Growth of Megalopolis

B. Issues of Metropolitan Growth

C, Environmental Issues

5. CONTRIBUTION OF THE PRESENT STUDY

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CHAPTER I

INTRC>DlJCTION

1. CONCEPT OF THE STUDY : SETTLEMENTS AS A SYSTEM

A human settlement can be viewed as a fundamental expression of a system

of man-environment relationship. There are many studies in Geography which

strong relationship between physical environment andemphasize that, there ia aform of human settlement. Human beings agglomerate themselves to take

advantage of scale of urban economy which has given boost to growth of a city.

Settlements develop in a combined environment of natural and man-made setting,

having various types of institutions and houses. Every settlement of a system is

unique. Growth and evolution of city/town depend on its socio-economic and

physical environmental conditions.

Settlements form a pattern on space. This pattern can be expressed as

points, lines and areas. In an urban settlement system the point can be consideredas a place of work around which human beings center around. The transportation

or communication network are the form of lines, which are effective tools for

interaction arid areas are zones of different land uses or neighbourhood.

Each settlement is a system by itself in which, socio-cultural layout, economic

structure, demographical profile, transportation and communication network canbe treated as a sub-system. A settlement to be termed 'rural' or 'urban' depends

on its size, density, occupational structure and the Government policy.

The distribution of physical and human resources over space and the technology

for the development of settlements are not equal hence settlements do notdevelop in a similar size and function. Therefore we find various forms of

settlements over space.

The various forms of urban settlements have been developed over space.They are termed as "Town", "City", "City Center", "Suburbs", "Metropolitan City",

"Megalopolis" and "Ecumenopolis" etc., These various urban forms are not static,

they change over time and space. The change or growth in urban form is a result

of various natural as well as man made factors. As such there is no 'natural' limit

to the size of the urban area, it is interesting to understand the process of

urbanization that has evolved into the present urban form.

A. Concept of Megalopolis

The majority (45.19 per cent) of the world population lives in cities. Growth

feeds on growth, and there appears to be no limit to the size of the urban areain the future. The gradual evolutionary change in quality has resulted in arevolutionary mutation with a new and different style and quality of life.

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There is little doubt that the metropolitan area is becoming the dominantform of settlement all over the world. There is a growing concentration in thelargest ’Primate" cities. The questions that arise are; How did the concept of'Metropolitan area' evolve? How did the traditional distinction between "City"and "Suburb" become obsolete and meaningless ? Both the city and suburbshave merged into a new and much more extended form of human settlement.in its 1950 census, the United States recognized this fact under the name of

the "Metropolitan area." As accepted by the researchers that there is no limitto the size and growth of the urban area, The further growth of the "metropolitan

area" has created a gigantic agglomeration all over the world. It is seen thatthe large share of the urban population has concentrated in a few gigantic

urban metropolis which is called the "Megalopolis."

The term Megalopolis became popular when it was used by Jean Gottmannin 1960s, in his study, "The urbanized Northeastern seaboard of the UnitedStates", being 500 miles long and 30 to 100 miles wide (measuring total

geographical area about 53,575 sq.miles). A highly urbanized area in 1960 wascalled “Megalopolis" by Jean Gottmann.

Here in present study of Gujarat, the Megalopolis spread over 48543sq.km, which forms 24.76 per cent of Gujarat’s total geographical area. It

occupies more than 50 per cent of the state’s total population (2,14,68,596 )

and 65 per cent of the state’s urban population ( 93,20,585 ) which spread

over 104 urban centres out of 225 of the state total.

The word ‘Megalopolis’ has been used in different sense by various people.

The WEBSTER dictionary defines it as, 'a very large city” and therefore

sometimes it is just used in its literal meaning of "big city”, Others use it todenote a cluster or string of metropolitan areas. The late Konstantions Doxiadis

and his followers believed that these constitute a new type of human settlement,

which is different from the metropolis. In nutshell Megalopolis is nothing but, “a

Concentration of urban population in large magnitude, covering a large areawith series of urban settlements having interaction with each other and yet

each of them maintaining its own identity". Such a highly urbanized area can

be termed as “Megalopolis”. However, the Megalopolis is some thing different

from conurbation as seen in case of Calcutta and Bombay. In the Megalopolis

there are series of urban settlements of different levels having good functional

linkages (backward and forward) and each settlement has its own economic

base and identity. Structurally the hinterland of each urban centre gets merged

with each other in such a way that the entire area becomes an urban field

having many urban centres located in a continuous zone over space, The term

“Megalopolis” is not widely used in Indian context, however there are such

highly urbanized areas in India that may be referred to as a Megalopolis. In

Gujarat this particular Megalopolis type of region is new, but it is the result of

the age old process of urbanisation which has given rise to the growth of

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cities/towns and the development of various resources, change in employment

pattern, process of industrialization and change in the pattern of connectivityand interactions along with the development of trade, commerce, services andmanagerial activities. Every city in this region spreads out far and wide around

its original nucleus. It grows amidst an irregularly celloidal mixture of rural and

suburban landscapes.

B. Trend of Urbanization

a. National Level

The process of urbanization is a part of the large process of economic and

social change which is affecting not only the existing urban centres but the

country as well. The term urbanization suggests the process of the shifting of

population from rural to urban centres and that the urban population is growing

at a faster rate than that of the average rate of growth of population. The

decennial growth rate of urban population of India during the census year

1901-1981 has fluctuated between 0.35 to 46%, but in subsequent decades

it was stable at 36.19%. Total population of the country since 1901 to 1991has increased only 3.5 times while the urban population has increased about

eight times during same period.

The disproportionate distribution of population in urban centres is a matterof serious concern not only for planning authorities but also for the nation asa whole. In India the number of urban settlements and urban population in

higher size classes were much less in the beginning of the century. In 1901 the

class l cities were having 26% of total urban population of India, which

increased to 65.22% in year 1991. Urban population is now mainly concentrated

in class I cities or metropolitan large cities.

b. Sub National Level

Gujarat is one of the highly urbanized states in India, it ranks fifth in terms

of total urban population (142 millions), with 34.40 percent of urban population

to total population as per the 1991 census. The distribution of urban population

in the state is not uniform, it is concentrated in few large cities and townsespecially along the National Highway, stretching north-south in the plains of

Gujarat from Unjha to Vapi.

At the beginning of the century, Ahmedabad, Vadodara and Surat were

settlements of near equal size. Then the importance of textiles industries

shows the sudden spurt of Ahmedabad since 1931 A.D. Then the linkage

between Ahmedabad and Bombay touched a new dynamism with the

establishment of physical linkages as well as the industrial and commercial

interdependence. But by 1991 other centres also grew up like, Unjha -

Mehsana - Kalol - Gandhinagar - Ahmedabad - Nadiad - Anand - Vadodara -

Bharuch - Surat - Valsad - Navsari - Vapi and Umbergaon have grown

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substantially in North-South as well as East-West direction. But the growth inEast-West direction is much less as compared to that of the North-Southdirection. It was due to variety of factors like, North-South connectivity in the

plain, relative proximity to Bombay, good linkages, oil exploration andpetrochemical development, Hazira pipe line, industrial developmental

investments etc., series of large and intermediate urban settlements have

come up in this area and have formed the Unjha -Vapi zone as an emerging

Megalopolis in Gujarat. The Saurashtra region has a relatively hierarchical

settlement pattern whereas the Kachchh and the Eastern hilly region have a

few small to medium size of settlements, which do not form any hierarchy

system but has given rise to a scattered settlement pattern.

The present trend of urbanization and economic development are expected to

continue and more urban settlements will join with the existing Megalopolis by

2001. Hence the present Megalopolis would tend to grow much larger, and it

would cover an area starting from Unjha - beyond Ahmedabad to Pune,

measuring 800 K.M. long Megalopolis (Ref.fig.1.1 ). This Megalopolis will have apopulation of 60 to 65 million in 2001 A.D. with about 75 per cent level of

urbanization, having Bombay as a super-magnet besides Ahmedabad-Vadodara-Surat-Uihasnagar-Pune as other prime magnates, situated in thisarea. Owing to the economy of scale prevailing in the region, the development

of industries, the distributive trade, capital intensive projects etc., would generatemore employment and hence more service to population in this Megalopolis.

This would accelerate the demand of water, power, communication, housing,sewerage system, social infrastructure and subsequently need an integrated

planning approach for the Megalopolis as a whole. A special policy thereforemay be framed out at The Megalopolis level which assumes importance withregards to national* and sub-national level **. However, the problems ofdevelopment of such a Megalopolis and the struggle to find solution hasstarted but it is difficult to tackle one problem without affecting the other. Astransportation, land use including housing, water supply, electricity, pollution,

utilization and development of resources, cultural activities, Government policiesare interrelated. Hence planning for the development of a Megalopolis shouldbe done in a much wider perspective and in a comprehensive manner. Thestudy here aims at a sub-national level in the state of Gujarat only.

2 OBJECTIVES AND HYPOTHESIS

A. Objectives of the Study

Experiences of the West and the emerging urban scenario in Gujarat, bring tous a new pattern of intense living which is normal in this emerging Megalopolis.This affects not only landuses but they also exerts a strong influence on the

* National level covers an area of the Megalopolis more than one state.** Sub-national level indicates of an area of the Megalopolis covering one state only.

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NAL

nr

SCAUtmAKTUR

HUBPATAU

<<°O t oHEHSANA

KADI

0 MINAGAR

JXBAD

VI*AK3*H

oAHMED

ilGODHRA

HADIAD

D

cVADODARAh

Ot

6BRARUCH

3 cnAÿ

POKJLMT T

(SCAAE:0.5 CJH. •tOMQ

ABOVE 3000000

—2000001 3000000

NAVSARI

VALSAD1 2000000

200001 1000000.100001

BELOW

—t IXCO

2000001000002I

/

THE EMERGING MEGALOPOLIS IN GUJARAT

Source: Prepared using Census Reports, Govt, of India : 1991 , Fig:l.1

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economic and social foundation of the society. Therefore, in this study anattempt has been made to delineate the Megalopolis in the state of Gujaratand to study the dynamics of urbanization, change in land use pattern, growthand sprawl of economic activities over space and time, interaction pattern and

critical evaluation of some of the spatial development area of the Megalopolis

from the point of view of problems and prospects. The main objectives of the

research are as follows:

1. Delineation of the Megalopolis in the state of Gujarat using selected socio¬

economic variables, as per 1991 census data and IRS satellite imageries.

2. To understand dynamics of urbanization of the Megalopolis over time and

in comparison with other regions of the state (1961-1991) in terms of ;

(a) Change in demographic structure in the Megalopolis (1971- 1991),

(b) Change in size of settlements; size-class analysis of towns and cities and

population potential analysis of urban settlements over time and space in

spatial context,

(c). Changing land use pattern (urban vs. non urban); change in area under

agriculture, land put to non-agricultural uses and change in cropping

pattern over a period of time in the Megalopolis (1971- 1991).

(d). Use of Remote Sensing Technique in urban sprawl and industrial sprawl

mapping (1986- 1998).

3. To examine the changes in the economic activities within the Megalopolis

over time and space (1971-1991); change in occupational structure, shift

and share in past, present and future industrial development of the

Megalopolis.

4. Impact of intense urbanization and industrialization on infrastructure,

environmental quality and sustainable urban development.

5. Critical evaluation of the spatial development of the Megalopolis in the

state of Gujarat in terms of environmental planning.

With these objectives in view the following hypothesis have been framed

and same have been tested using appropriate techniques.

B Hypothesis

i. The distribution of Population Potential surface over different regions of

Gujarat is not uniform and is found to be the highest In the Megalopolis area.

,j There is a positive relationship between the pace of urbanization of the

region (1961- 1991) and increase in land put to non-agricultural uses in the

region between 1960-92.

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It is expected that the distribution of land put to non- agricultural uses is uniform

in all the regions of Gujarat.

In the Megalopolis, the per cent area under agriculture to total geographical area

of taluka is reduced with the process of urbanization in the taluka increased

during 1971- 1991.

Process of urbanization of Megalopolis has made an impact on cropping pattern

(1971-1991) as farmers have shifted to commercial crops from food grains.

Percentage of non-primary workers to total workers of taluka increased with the

increase in degree of urbanization in talukas of Megalopolis between 1971 and1991,

3. SCOPE OF THE STUDY

It is revealed from the literature reviews that, the issues related to urbanization,

forms of the city and urban environmental quality have attracted the attention of many

researchers. It is interesting to study the Megalopolis a unique form of urban

character which is not recognized so far terminologically as used in the encyclopediaof Geography. This kind of a new form of urbanization, that is, Megalopolis is not asingle metropolis or a city but it includes many metropolis, cities, towns and small

centres. It is nothing but a highly urbanized region having series of urban centres. It

ia an important socio-economic region at the state as well as at the national level.

This kind of region acts as a magnate in the country and it keeps on growing rapidly

irrespective of any administrative boundary. Therefore, according to planning and

management point of view, such a highly urbanized region must be studied in anintegrated manner and accordingly its planning should be carried out. Concentration

of such activities leads to economic prosperity but at the same it also createsenvironmental hazards. So how to control or manage such a region is also a major

concern of the study.

This Megalopolis may cover some parts of Maharashtra State, that is at the

national level of “Bombay - Nasik - Pune” corridor but due to deferent administrative

status, contiguity, volume of work, time and availability of data and many morereasons the scope of the present study has been delimited to the area of Gujarat

State only. One can consider the Bombay-Nasik-Pune as new Megalopolis emerging

in Maharashtra State. Though this study is spatially restricted to Gujarat, but the

scope of the study is much more wider as it forms huge concentration of industries

and urban population that leads to job opportunity on one hand and environmental

problems on the other hand. Hence the aim of management and planning here is

based on sustainable urban growth. This can provide socio-economic prosperity

without damaging much of quality of life.

4. REVIEW OF STUDIES

Most of the studies on Urbanization and its associated phenomenon show that,

HI.

IV.

v.

vi.

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1950 onward the level of urbanization has risen substantially in developing countriesof Asia. The rate of growth of urban population and urban agglomerations hasconsistently exceeded overall population growth rate. Urban population is growing atdifferent rates in different countries of the world.

The growth of large cities and emerging metropolises is accepted all over the

world with increasing environmental problems. The growth of cities is essential toachieve sustained growth and social development. Cities are important hubs ofproduction, employment and innovation for example about 60 per cent of the GNPdeveloping countries is created in urban areas. The characteristics of urbanizationand resultant problems include a significant rise in the number of urban householdsliving in poverty, overconcentration of population and economic activities in a few largecities, enormous shortfalls in shelter and services and deterioration of the environmentKeeping these wide range of issues and its associated urban forms, the review ofdifferent studies have been done in the folfowing groups;

A. Urbanization and growth of MegalopolisWorld and National versus State's scenario

B. Issues of metropolitan growth

C. Environmental issues

A. Urbanization and Growth of Megalopolis

A systematic study of urbanization is a recent phenomenon even in the developed

countries. In India.attempts have been made from time to time to conduct socio¬

economic surveys in selected cities in order to understand the problems created by

rapid urbanization in these cities. Town planners have also conducted specificsurveys in several cities to meet the requirements of urban planning. But there shardly any attempt to study urbanization in India as a process from the historiesdemographic, economic, social and other points of view.

The Research Centre of the Institute of Economic Growth took the lead In taxingup a series of studies on internal migration and urbanization.particularly from thedemographic point of view,as early as 1961.Major work based on several researchpapers prepared on internal migration and urbanization was published under the titleof "Studies in India's Urbanization, 1901-197111 by Ashish Bose (Tata McGraw-Hill,1973). According to him.each decade had a dominant theme which affected thegrowth of urban population and during the first half of the twentieth century.there wasnever afamine.plague, influenza epidemic,war and partition dominated the urban scene(Bose,Ashish,T 978).

The 1951-1961 decade was in a way the first normal decade of urbanization in tne

context of industrial development. However, the impact of industrialization was felt inthe 1961-71 decade the author argues that, the rapid rate of growth of population

itself is a factor which inhibits migration to the cities.

nf

“normal" decade of growth of urban population. Factors like

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The study of the growth rates with reference to the size-category of towns inmacro terms reveals that the stagnation of small and medium towns in the face of

overall rapid urbanization is a persistent phenomenon from colonial times and in spite

of new strategies for development of growth poles, dispersal of industries, etc. the big

cities continue to dominate the urban scene (Bose Ashish 1973).

The industrialization and economic growth have positive association with

urbanization. It provides concentrations of population from which industrial labour

may be drawn; they also contain a greater variety of skills and resources than rural

areas. Also, urbanization promotes values favourable to entrepreneur and industrialgrowth. Cities typically tend to favour a propensity to develop traditional institutionsand for innovation and accept changes in a relatively impersonal and fragmentedsetting of urban life (Irma, Ademan 1967).

The positive aspect of the development is that, urbanization is usually closely

associated with increasing economic well-being. In the twentieth century, technology

strongly favours the concentration of non-primary activities in urban areas. The levelof urbanization and Gross National Product are positively associated. Therefore the

current rapid pace of urbanization is taken as a welcome sign of development.

However, rapid pace of urbanization is regarded with alarm by many economists,

sociologists and political scientists due to associated growth of poverty, malnutrition

and diseases (Irma Addeman 1967,pp25) due to associate growth of poverty,malnutrition, diseases and crime.

Urban centres with nodes of activities are the real foci of social contacts and

economic growth performing a number of important activities (Maurya, S. D. and G.Devi, 1984). Cities have always been considered the nucleus of human civilization and

culture.

Lampard states that there are three concepts of urbanization which have currently

been used in the social sciences: the behavioural, the structural and the demographic

(Lampard, E. E., 1965). The behavioural concept is concerned with the experience of

individuals over time and with patterns of behaviour. The structural concept is used

to the activities of the whole population and is primarily concerned with the change

in its economic structure. The demographic concept is primarily related to concentration

of population. Thus, one may consider the concept of urbanization in three ways : the

social,the economic and the demographic. He further states in his study that,"There

is a direct correlation between the phases of economic development and the process

of urbanization.’

Kingley Davis states that urbanization usually is said to be taking place when the

proportion of the total population that is residing in places which are defined as urban

is rising, or when urban population is growing at faster rate than the average rate of

growth for a nation (Davis,K.,1962,p.9). Ashish Bose has studied the process of

urbanization in India in detail. In his contention/urbanization in demographic sense,is

an increase in the proportion of the urban population (U) to the total population (T)

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over a period of time. As long as U/T increases there is urbanization’ (Bose,A.,1973,p.3). However, by Indian as well as foreign scholars studying the process ofurbanization, the increase in urban population is generally recognized and commonlytaken as an important index of measuring level of urbanization in any region. It is

argued that the increase or growth of urban population may be the result of (a)

natural growth (the birth over deaths), (b) increase in the number of towns(either byorigin of new towns or by change of rural centres to urban one), and (e) migration of

people from rural to urban areas,

The study of Prakash Rao shows that there are three distinct processes of

urbanization in India: (a) the metropolitisation, (b) commercialization or intermediateurbanization and (c) rural urbanization or subsistence urbanization (Prakash Rao,1973).

Urbanization in developed countries like Great Britain, the U.S.A., the U.S.S.R.,Japan, Germany, France etc. has been largely promoted in modern times by

industrialization and the resultant development of trade and commerce.(Champion,A.G.,1975, pp.48-49).

In colonial setup urban centres acted as nodes of administration and exploitation

(Kundu and Raza, 1982), while in developing economy these centres are viewed asservice centres and channels of developmental impulses to rural areas(Mishra et al

1976,Berry 1969).

In India a few sincere exercises were made for the measurement of regional

disparities in urban development for Post Independence time. Mukerji(1973) measured

the regional disparities in his study.

Population distribution has become the critical issue in the developing world. In asurvey of thirty nations of the Asian-Pacific region by Uited Nation, fifteen areconsidered having distribution to be ‘extremely unacceptable’ and in need of 'radical

intervention’ (UN,1979-80).

In most of the Asian nations, the growth of urban population and concentration

of much of the urban growth are found in a single metropolitan region, raising

problems of urbanhas ied to the

population. The review of population policies in the Asian-pacific nation shows that

the overall effectiveness of policies of population distribution is limited. The experience

varies considerably, depending on the types of programme involved (Findley 1977).

j. Conurbation and Megalopolis

In the present time, urbanization has advanced at a great pace in almost all parts

of the world and due industrial and technological development. Consequently towns

have gained both in area and population, and in several cases two or more urban

’settlements have expanded towards each other and have practically merged to form

continuously urbanized region (Dwivedi, R.L,1969,p.45).

The phenomenal growth of towns

management and possible political,social or ethnic instability. This

adoption of various policies intended to slow down the growth of urban

beyond their administrative boundaries into the

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countryside necessitated the search for a new name to designate very large urbanizedtracts for which today the term 'Conurbation1 and 'Megalopolis' are used but both arenot exactly the same.

The terms ‘conurbation’ was first introduced by Pattrick Geddes in the earlier part of20th century to refer to a'city region’ or an aggregate of towns, such as, GreaterLondon, Here Geddes used the term but did not define the concept of conurbationin detail.(Singh R.N. and S Deen, 1978 p.11)

According to Fawcett,‘a conurbation’ is an area occupied by a continuous seriesof dwellings, factories and other buildings, harbour and docks, urban parks andplaying fields,though in many cases in this country such an urban area includesenclosures of rural land which is itself in agricultural occupation’ (Fawcett,C.B.,1332)

Gottmann used the term “Megalopolis” in his study of North-east Sea board ofU.S.A. According to his study one thing is very clear that, “conurbation is neither asynonym of Megalopolis nor its pre or post stage. Similarly every Megalopolis may notbe also developed with mono-nuclear city which is not a condition of conurbation(Maury,S.D. 1989 p,p.52).

“The Megalopolis” type of region is new, but it is the result of an age-oicJ process,such as the growth of cities, the division of labour within a civilized society (Gottmann

1962 p4).

Gottmann summarises his observations on the process of urbanization over NorthAmerica, Western Europe and some Mediterranean Countries as Megalopolis type ofregion remains the most impressive and largest urban systems,' The larger metropolitanareas are attracting the larger part of population. Cities are expanding one toward theother. Residential land use is gaining in afl directions around the congested oidernuclei. The more densely agglomerated nuclei no longer specializes in manufacturingand administration as they used to. Production of industries often moves out to theperiphery of the city and beyond into spaces that were until recently considered ruralor interurban.(Gottmann 1962).

B. Issues of Metropolitan Growth

Today, problems of cities and the efforts directed towards their alleviation commandglobal attention because of the increasing properties of world’s population beingaffected environmentally by such issues. The study of eight motorists of the developingworld (Pacione M.(Ed) 1981) reveals that, .in the majority of big cities, the emphasis

is being placed upon the problem solving approach rather than comprehensive andintegrated planning and implementation of planning proposals”.

Bharbava Gopal (Edt. 1981), summaries from various studies edited in this editionof the book that/’there is an urgent need of an in-depth analysis of manifold facts of

emerging problems of Metropolis. The focus of attention on the need to adoptcomprehensive policy framework In regard to urban land, housing, transportation,

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infrastructure and balanced urban and regional development with a perspective oftomorrow.

planning is probably the most serious single problem faced by human being in thesecond half of the twentieth century,as visualized by World Health Organization.(WHO1974). It is also a part of the whole problem of achieving growth with social justice,as the fruits of development have not trickled down to various strata of the society.

According to the United Nations Population projection (UN 1976), by the year2000 the world may be one-half urban and more alarming will be, the populationcontained by cities with at least one million plus habitats is growing more rapidly thancombined urban population.

The metropolitan cities in India are growing at an annual rate from 2 4 percent to7.6 percent. As per the National Commission on Urbanization (NCU: 87) the numberof metropolitan cities is expected to increase to 40 by the end of this century. Similarlythe share of urban total population is likely to reach 36.28 percent.

The slum problem is essentially related to the problem of shelter for the poor butin its wider perspective it is a problem of social disorganization and economic distresswhich work for degradation of human habitat, health, security and morals. It is foundthat about 20 to 30 percent population of metropolitan agglomerations is huddledtogether in overcrowded,dingy and unhygienic slums without physical and socialamenities (Desai and Pillai, 1972, pp2).

C. Environmental issues

The Metropolitan cities were regarded as parasite bodies, draining the countrysideof people and resources into an increasingly unhealthy urban environment. Despiteconsiderable resources devoted to urbanization, living conditions of major cities havedeteriorated over several past decades,(CMPO 1966,P.3).

In Metropolitan cities,the increase in population has not been matched by necessaryincrease in socio-economic development. This is injurious to economic growth and theliving standards also. In many cities proper maintenance and new investment are notfound at desired level, which can meet the need of population growth.(Lakdawala,D.T.,1963)

The sewerage treatment is essential to check environmental decay to maintainthe healthy living conditions.(NCRPB 1987). The existing level of sewerage system isinadequate in the towns of National CapitaL{New Delhi, India) Region (NCR).As manyas 69 out of 89 towns do not have any sewerage system at all except for opensurface drains in some of them. Most of them are medium size towns having

population between 50000 to 100000.

A number of articles were published in newspapers on deteriorating urban

environment and many environmental pollution and related problems in urban services

caused plague in Surat in the year of 1994 The main pollutants are numerous;effluents and discharges from industry and domestic sewerages, heavy metal

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compounds and solid-waste, chemical waste arid automobile waste etc.(Robert

Arvill,1976) It becomes necessary to undertake sustainable development to attain

healthy environment in the urban settlement (David Pearce 1990).This was a part ofthe United Nations Environmental programme In 1980,Sustainable urban development

requires a protective and anthropocentric perspective in order to tackle urban

environmental degradation(Savage V R 1995),

The various activities associated with the process of urbanization have led togradual degradation of the urban environment The metropolitan cities are under the

influence of parameters like suspended particles, sulphur dioxide and dust fall which

affect the quality of air. Further, the unchecked growth of vehicles and the operationsof sewerage are becoming serious threats to environment and have several implicationsto the conditions of health of people (Reddy.U.B. 1989 PP.189),

A detailed analysis can possibly show ari association of perception of urban

residents with their behaviour-if not a cause and effect relationship (Desai,A.P,1981).In the study of Ahmedabad it is found that, ' Perception is reflected on the residents'

behaviour. The residents are aware and conscious of social and cultural environmentmore than the physical one." As a result,the residents are not concerned aboutmaintaining public health. They fail to understand that they are vital parts of theecological system. This is so.because man's interaction with physical environment has

taken place via human interaction An integrated effort can save the physicalenvironment from deterioration-by increasing the environmental awareness, educationin primary schools of the walled city,by improving the services of the municipality andby organizing voluntary associations in each ward or neighborhood where the residentscan participate in development programme.

5. CONTRIBUTION OF THE PRESENT STUDY

This study is an attempt to delineate a new form of urban region having aconcentration of several urban settlements along with peripheral zones with a mixtureof urban and rural-urban characteristics. Here in this study region is termed as“Megalopolis”. Many research and studies have been done in India in the field ofurban and regional planning such as, planning of metropolitan region, settlementpattern in a regional context, district level planning, block-level planning, coastalregion planning etc. with a comprehensive planning approach. Some of the researchalso have been carried out for specific problems or areas of interest in urban field e,gtraffic and transportation versus land use planning in metropolitan region, environmentalproblems in metropolitan region, study on urban poor, urban sprawl, assessment ofinfrastructure in urban area, role of informal sector in urban economy etc. In Indiancontext hardly an attempt has been made to delineate such highly urbanized spatialregion of a Megalopolis, which has a great impact on state as well as on nationaleconomy. It is important to study , analyse and to come up with an appropriate

planning for such a region from environmental point of view, too.

This study gives new concept of urban form as Megalopolis, which spreads

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beyond one Metropolitan region. This Megalopolis includes series of urban as well asrural settlements which are linked and are interdependent on one hand, while each

urban settlement has its own identity in the system on the other hand.

This study shows an approach, which would involve an understanding of the

functional, behavioral and environmental aspects of those features that go clearly

beyond the metropolitan level This study brings out a complicated urban system

which has socio-economic opportunities on one hand, and environmental problems

on the other hand.

This study throws light on as to how such an urban form as 'Megalopolis'

emerged over time and space There are many more such emerging Megalopolis in

India. The present study illustrates that, how important a Megalopolis is in respective

states as well as in National economy. The study focuses on serious problems that

affect the quality of life of the people and the socio-economic prospects of development

in Megalopolis. Moreover, this study may provide a base to study other such

Megalopolis, that are emerging in the country. Thus the contribution of this study will

be a significant one, since no such attempt has been made to delineate and study

comprehensively such a new urban form in Indian context. The study aims in planning

Megalopolis in a sustainable way. Considering the present rate of growth one can say

that India is on the verge of becoming a nation of many more such Megalopolis in the

21st century. Therefore, the pattern of the study and methods used in this study

could be applied with or without modification for the study of other Megalopolis of

India.

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