Gujarat’s perceived spate of urbanisation may soon get a stamp of authority. According to officials conducting the census 2011, Gujarat is expected to emerge as the most urbanised state in the country. In the 2001 census, Gujarat ranked third in the country with urbanisation at 37.35%, preceded by Tamil Nadu at the top with 43.86% and Maharashtra next with 42.4%. Gujarat was closely followed by Karnataka with 33.98% and Punjab with 33.95% of its population living in ‘urban area’.
“The results of the first phase (of census) indicate a significant increase in urbanisation of areas, mainly owing to industrialisation. To this effect, a whopping area of 750 sq km surrounding Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, including Gandhinagar, has been declared urban agglomerate (UA),” director of census operations in Gujarat, Manish Bhardwaj said.
The initial estimates indicate a significant increase in ‘census towns’. The number of towns in Gujarat has increased by 106.7% — from 74 in 2001 to 153 in 2010. A census town is defined as an area with a minimum population of 5,000; at least 75% of male working population engaged in non-agricultural pursuits and a population density of at least 400 persons per sq km. Another benefit of this spate of urbanisation and declaration of Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar UA is going to be the city of Gandhinagar.
Bhardwaj said that Gujarat's capital is the only city in the country which is not a Class A city. With the area being declared an UA, Gandhinagar will get the benefits of Ahmedabad being a Class A city.
The first phase data has revealed a 38% increase in the number of houses in the state. In 2001, there were 91 lakh houses in Gujarat, which has increased to 1.32 crore in 2010. The number of houses in Gujarat in 1991 was 74 lakh. "This indicates a strong migration pattern from rural to urban areas, mostly for employment. People continue to have a house in the village, but also have a house in an urban area. This is also a sign that the average size of a family per house is reducing," Bhardwaj said.
